Come Through
by Draxca
Summary: Olivia lost everything when a drunk driver took her husband from her. A year later with the support of her cousin Renee, she is starting to turn a corner and make a new life. Will Seth be the missing piece of the "happy ever after"? Or will he burn the whole thing down...AU
1. Chapter 1

BURN IT DOWN

Olivia Madsen woke up most mornings from a tumultuous night of tossing and turning. She had an itemized list that she had to go through - she didn't need to follow the written list line by line anymore, but it was tucked into her bedside table, just in case she needed it. Each item had to be followed in order, and you weren't allowed to skip to an item without doing the one previous.

Item one: Open your eyes. Sounds like just about the easiest thing in the world...most mornings it's easier to do than the morning before. She looked up at the white ceiling with the fan spinning lazily and took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Then she did it again.

She didn't remember the accident, but she did remember waking up in the hospital with a soundtrack of screeching tires, blaring horns, and a long gap of silence playing on repeat in her head.

Item two: Get Out of bed. This was not a fan favourite. These days it came more naturally, and overall she did it right away before the demons took hold.

Item three: Open the curtains. For a while there, she closed her eyes again before she did this - she couldn't put a finger on why she did it, but suspected it was to make sure she was actually alive and awake and not still living a nightmare. She always used her left hand, avoiding seeing her right hand until it was absolutely necessary.

She didn't remember smashing the glass cabinet door when the doctors came to tell her about Mark's death, but the scars on her right hand told her that it happened.

She went into the ensuite bathroom to finish items four and five, which are itemized separately on her written list, but now she combined them as one: morning ablutions. The light flicked on and she grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste. Dean had found a "smart" toothbrush that told her how well she was brushing, and had an app that they could check to make sure she was actually doing what she was supposed to. She pulled a tea tree oil face wipe out of the package of thirty, inhaling deeply as she did so - the scent of the wipe was faintly medicinal, but Olivia thought of it as cleansing. She almost never bothered with makeup - that hadn't changed since before the accident.

Item six: don't leave the bedroom without changing out of your pyjamas. The first few weeks of therapy, the petulant child inside her took item 6 very literally, and would take this as permission to stay in her pyjamas in her room all day. After day 20 of arguing with a four year old in the body of her thirty-one year old cousin, Renee took it upon herself to add Item six-A...

Item six A: LEAVE YOUR BEDROOM! Love Renee :)

She sighed and got dressed - never anything fancy, always purely functional: underwear and bra, no socks (not right away anyways), yoga pants and t-shirt. Long sleeved if it was chilly. She stuffed a pair of socks into the waistband of her pants and went downstairs.

Item 7: Make the coffee. It wasn't high-end coffee, just brewed from the same little blue can every morning. She knew she was starting to turn a corner in her recovery when she told Dean she found the whole ritual very grounding...and then the three of them laughed themselves silly until the tears came...then the hugs once the tears turned sad.

item 8: First we make the coffee, then we eat the breakfast.

Renee and Dean - well mostly Renee - were on this plant-based diet, and had been for years. It made breakfast a pretty low-key affair. If Olivia was the first one up, she made herself an avocado toast, then waited for the others to wake up before making a more substantial oatmeal or fruit salad. She figured it would be a little while still before they woke up, so she cut up two bowls of mixed fruit, minus grapes - Dean had read the Top Ten Fruits to Avoid on Buzzfeed or something - so grapes were out for the next little while, anyways - and put them into the fridge. Perversely, Olivia ran a small stem of grapes under the tap and then popped them in her mouth, tossing the skeleton into the garbage.

She didn't remember much of the last year, but she knew that if her cousin Renee and her husband Dean hadn't stepped in, she would still be in a fetal ball on her bed, unmoving, unresponsive. After the accident, she was grateful that someone stepped in to act on her behalf: to manage the funeral, the therapist appointments, the sale of her house...to hold her during the breakdowns, the random crying jags that seemingly came from nowhere, the night terrors, the periods of silence and shut down that traded places with the periods of anger and thought of self-harm...she owed them everything a million times over.

She sat in the living room and had her coffee and avocado toast. Took another deep cleansing breath. When she first started her daily list, every item was an ordeal. She fought the imposed order, craving the chaos that made it easier to drown her grief in - the resulting mental and emotional white noise was a balm to cover the newly jagged edges her soul had acquired. But it wasn't how life was meant to be lived. So gradually, she coped. She carried on. She worked hard to silence the demons that beckoned her to revert, to lose her way. Again. The process wasn't perfect...hell, SHE wasn't perfect - but for now, aside from her family of two, it was all she had. For now.

Item 9: go for a run

She grabbed her wireless earbuds, stuck her phone into the armband, pulled the socks from her pants and tied her shoes. This was an item she found herself craving every day - having something to temper her thoughts with made every day a little easier to deal with. If Dean or Renee were up, she would go with them, but they'd gotten to the point that they didn't feel the need to hover 24/7. So this morning she ventured out on her own.

Item 10: Think about Mark and baby Bean for twenty minutes during designated times. must have a minimum of one hour before another designated time.

This item had been added after she had already completed six months of grief therapy, in an effort to exert more control over the process. It seemed like an insignificant amount of time for the two people in her life that had been her whole world, but she had found twenty minutes seemed to be the maximum amount of time that she _could_ think about them before her thoughts went in a darker direction. Designated times were: a) after the other nine (and a half) items had already been completed, and b) when she had her journal handy to record her thoughts. When she first started completing Item 10, she was using a timer for the breaks, and grabbing the journal again as soon as she could. Six months on, a good day meant she was using the journal twice, usually in the evening - _definitely_ right before bed. Bad days were getting better - her last bad day last month saw her writing six or seven times. She hadn't used a timer to time the breaks for the last three months, so she saw that as a small victory.

She had also had to set a time limit to her running. The first day she had run a full hour, killed her phone battery, gotten lost, and had to listen to angry, hysterical Renee give her a lecture on the car ride home. Olivia had tried to apologize and explain to Renee that this was the first good thing she had felt in months, that she had forgotten what "good" felt like... that she hadn't wanted it to end . Olivia's apology was accepted with the proviso that she only go out for a maximum of thirty minutes, with a fully-charged phone.

As she ran back down the lane that led to the house she shared with the only two people in the world that meant anything to her, she felt a slight tug of despair, that she was able to mentally brush away before she came back in the front door.

She didn't remember much, but she knew that she needed to start to heal and "move on" (as her therapist called it) without the love of her life or the child they were going to have together.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited, and reviewed on Chapter 1! Crazy warm welcome - made writing Chapter 2 a priority this week, so I hope you enjoy!

To give credit where credit is due, Olivia's comment about putting the pieces back together comes from the Bowling for Soup song "When We Die". It's a great line...

Olivia came in the front door from her morning run and dropped her keys on the kitchen counter. Renee and Dean were up and enjoying the morning sun streaming into the breakfast nook as they cuddled together and drank coffee.

"Jesus, you guys are nauseating - get a room..." Olivia teased as she went for a post-run snack and joined them on the opposite side of the table. It got easier every day to see them happy together - Olivia couldn't think of two people who deserved what they had - especially after helping to put her life back together. In some gradually shrinking bitter part of her mind, Olivia thought she could probably take credit for their closeness - after all, when you've had front-row seats to someone losing everything in the worst way possible, you probably gained a sense of appreciation for what you had.

She took a long pull at her protein shake and breathed deeply. That train of thought didn't come round as much anymore, and she tried to shake it off quickly when it did.

"Hey Livs - how are you feeling this morning?" Dean asked.

Olivia looked at him oddly, thinking they'd gotten past the need for these daily check-ins, "Fine...about usual - why?" She looked to Renee and was concerned by the look of discomfort on Renee's face. "Holy crap, Ree...are _you_ okay? "

Renee shifted her position from Dean's side and winced, "I dunno - I woke up this morning not feeling great - I think maybe the almond milk I used in the risotto last night was off or something - it smelled a bit different - but Dean says he feels fine..and you're okay?"

Olivia frowned, feeling Overprotective Mom come over her, "Yeah, but Renee - Dean and I didn't really have that much - did you call the doctor? Do you have a fever?" she leaned across the kitchen table to feel Renee's forehead. Renee didn't get sick often, hardly even a sniffle. "Why the hell would you use the milk if it smelled off?"

Renee waved Olivia off, "I took my temperature, and it's a tiny bit on the high side - I'm going to go back to bed and hope this blows over before Dean's reunion tomorrow night. I'd be waiting two weeks to see a doctor for this anyways - I'm just gonna lay low, and stay hydrated..." She shuffled out of the nook and grabbed her tablet and water bottle and tenderly walked upstairs to her bedroom.

Dean met her at the foot of the stairs before she started up, "I'll be up before I go to work -you sure you don't want me to give the doctor a call? You look a bit flushed.."

Renee shook her head, "I'll be fine - I've already called the station and told them I wouldn't be in today. I just need a day of rest, I've been burning the midnight oil pretty hard the last couple of months - catching flu was probably in the cards."

Dean kissed her gently on the forehead, frowning briefly at the noticeable warmth on his lips. "Well, i'll bring home dinner and a bag full of stuff from Walgreen's - we'll knock it down and be tripping the light fantastic tomorrow night at the reunion."

Renee smiled at her husband - he had been looking forward to his 15-year reunion for months. He and Renee had gotten married the summer of their ten-year and had missed it, so he was really looking forward to reconnecting with friends from back then. Even in the age of social media, there were people who spurned Facebook or Twitter for a variety of reasons - and then life had a funny habit of getting in the way of the best of intentions. So here he was, fifteen years later chomping at the bit to renew old friendships.

She smiled and cupped his face, kissing him gently on the cheek, "Don't sweat it, sweetheart, we'll get you to the prom..."

Olivia watched the two of them, and a memory of Mark bubbled up out of nowhere. The two of them, the music teacher and the composer, on their honeymoon, camping along the Oregon Coast for two glorious weeks - at least that had been the plan until Mark had come down with a roaring case of botulism on the third day. They had spent the rest of the trip holed up in a Super 8 motel in Florence, Olivia playing nurse and Mark trying his hardest to put a brave face on what was probably the worst way one could imagine spending a honeymoon. The day before they were supposed to go back to Seattle, Olivia woke up in his arms. Mark must've just woken up before her and he tightened his hug, "I cannot imagine my life without you - how did I manage to find someone who completes me so perfectly?" The thrill of adrenaline at his words made Olivia throw caution to the wind, and turned to face him, holding his face in both hands as she kissed him. They'd made up for lost time that day and Olivia had wound up phoning in sick as they overstayed their hotel stay by a full 24 hours.

Dean smiled back at Renee and watched as she made her way back up the stairs to their bedroom. He turned around and saw Olivia standing in the kitchen with a strange look on her face, "What?" he asked, grinning as he brushed past her to clean up the breakfast dishes.

Olivia startled, then laughed distractedly, "Nothing! I'm just...you make Renee happy. I know I tease you guys mercilessly, but I really love that you're both so in love..." the memory of Mark bubbled up again, and her sentence was choked off at the end as she coughed to hide the sudden wave of sadness. Dean was walking past her on the way to the dishwasher, but when she coughed, he stopped and gave her a more careful look. "Are you really okay, Olivia?" he asked quietly.

Olivia said nothing - she couldn't without losing her tenuous group on her emotions that morning. Her eyes were brimming and she hadn't started the day with a cry for so long, she didn't want to break that record. When Dean pulled her into a solid hug she gave up and wept quietly into his chest. Finally she gained some modicum of control again, and blinked rapidly to dry up the tears. She chuckled sadly as she saw the tear stains on the front of his dress shirt, "I see the "Number of Days Since Olivia Had A Breakdown" counter needs resetting..." She sighed, staring hard at the floor, "I'm sorry Dean - I'm trying hard to put the pieces together, but they don't always fit the same anymore, y'know?"

Dean leaned back against the dishwasher, arms folded across his chest. "I know it's been an incredibly difficult year for you, Livs...and you know Renee and I are here for you - we would do anything for you, right? No matter what happens, you always have a home here with us. You're stuck with us..."

Olivia gave him a small smile, "You're my family, Dean - you and Renee are all I've got left to give a damn about anymore...I'm glad I'm stuck with you guys, at the rate I'm going, I'm not going anywhere soon..." She glanced at the clock on the wall, "And you're going to be late if you don't give yourself time to go and change out of your tear-stained shirt - not a very professional look for an administrator ...tsk, tsk,"

"Shit, is that the time already?" He gave Olivia a quick peck on the cheek and went to the laundry room off of the garage to grab a clean shirt and get on his way to work.

Olivia watched him go, calling through to the laundry room, "Have a good day, Dr. Ambrose! Don't worry about Renee, I'll take good care of her," She heard the garage door open and knew Dean was already out of earshot. She went to fill up the dishwasher and turned it on, then decided a shower would help restart a morning that desperately needed a do-over. Upstairs, a door flew open and frantic footfalls ran to the bathroom where the unmistakeable sounds of last night's ruined risotto making a special guest appearance could be heard. Olivia ran upstairs, thinking she wasn't the only one who could do with a so-over this morning. She heard Renee calling her name weakly, and took the stairs two at a time, "Coming!"


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Again, thank you to those who have favourited and followed Come Through and especially to:

 **Skovko** \- I appreciate your kind words!

 **undertaker6575** \- this one has more Dean and Renee than I thought it would, but would love to take on a Dean/Renee fic once this bad boy is wrapped...

 **and bierrahanda** Seth is coming, I promise!

This is a monster of a chapter - I have a hard time getting Olivia and Renee to shut up, apparently. I could not stop writing, so I do hope it doesn't drag on...As we all know, leaving a review is manna from heaven for writers - feel free to constructively critique, or just say hi, ask a question...etc, etc. Enjoy Chapter Three!

Chapter Three

Dr. Dean Ambrose was exhausted after a particularly trying day. He was the Chief Medical Officer for the Fernwood - a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati that focused on mental health and addiction - and currently he was also running two of the several dozen support groups. It was the final group of the day that had triggered the mental exhaustion he was currently experiencing.

He had called home a couple of times when he got a moment to check in on Renee and Olivia. He didn't have more than a few minutes to touch base, but it sounded like Renee was hanging in there. He called when he hit the parking garage...

"Hey Livs, it's Dean - how's the patient?"

Olivia was cautiously optimistic, "Well, it's been about a half hour since she last barfed anything up - I've only been able to get her to take water and those saltines that have been sitting in the back of the pantry. The saltines come back up every so often, but she's resting now, so I think the worst of the nausea is over."

Dean nodded, "Maybe, maybe not - there's a half case of Gatorade in the garage. If she keeps puking, switch from water to the Gatorade, she won't dehydrate as badly. Did you take a temperature?"

"Um, no - I didn't want to get that close to her mouth when she was vomiting this morning. Let me find the thermometer..."

He walked out to the parking lot and got in his car. He switched to hands-free, and started the drive home. He heard Olivia rustling around in the bathroom drawers, then a short murmured conversation:

'Renee, open your mouth, Dean says I need to take your temperature...Renee, come on - yes I will buy you dinner if you open your mouth...Jesus you're worse than Dean...okay now leave it in there until it beeps...yes these are all lines you can use on Dean later, good thinking Dr Ruth...okay, let me see what it says...you can go back to sleep now, hon...'

She got back on the phone with Dean, "That wife of yours is in the gutter, 24/7...her temperature is a tiny bit on the high side, but I don't know what's normal for her. Want me to feed her some Advil?"

"Not just yet; i'm on my way home now, I should be there in about twenty minutes. Let her rest, keep giving her plenty of fluids - how much was she puking this morning?"

"She was like a clock - on the half hour just about every hour, not to the point of dry heaving, but definitely emptied the tank every time. I'll switch her to the Gatorade when she wakes up. Can you grab some more on your way home? I think we're probably good for things that she can eat here - that's probably the only thing...maybe some flowers? She needs some princess treatment, I'm thinking."

Dean smiled as he saw the sign for the local Walgreen's and signaled - one princess treatment coming up...

Olivia got off the phone with Dean and went back to her patient. Renee was propped in bed, pale and clammy. Her skin had acquired a faint sheen of perspiration as she had dozed. Olivia was exhausted - Renee had been in and out and not-quite-in again of the ensuite bathroom at least a dozen times, the laundry hamper had acquired one week's worth of dirty clothes between Renee and Olivia, and there was a large stain currently being worked on by Renee's Little Green Machine.

She walked over and sat on Dean's side of the bed gently - this was the first uninterrupted rest Renee had had all day. If Olivia was quick, she could get the Gatorade out of the garage and chill it before Renee woke up. She scanned the shelves and found the half-empty case behind a box of Dean's trucker hats - Olivia wondered if Renee knew this was where they were coming from. Dean seemed to pull out a new one every time softball season rolled around...she grabbed a hat from the box, put it on and hurried out of the garage.

Olivia put the last bottle in the fridge, and heard Renee calling her name. She took the bottle with her as she slammed the fridge door shut and took the stairs two at a time. "Renee? You okay, hon? You need me to help you to the bathroom?"

Renee had her eyes shut, "I don't think so - can you help me sit up a bit?" Olivia grabbed another pillow from Dean's side of the bed and tucked behind Renee's back. She looked at Renee carefully, "How are you feeling? You didn't sleep more than twenty minutes - I think you should close your eyes again and give it another shot."

"I'm fine - I think the worst is over...at this moment, I don't feel like puking. I want to enjoy the moment..." she added.

"You just spent most of the day forcibly ejecting everything you ate - you literally look like crap," Olivia noted. "If you want to be able to take Dean to his senior prom tomorrow night, you're going to need an overdose of beauty sleep." She stuck her tongue out at Renee, who giggled quietly.

"You're a ray of sunshine - you inspire me to get better, Nurse Ratchet..." she opened her eyes and saw the hat Olivia had found in the garage. "Mother trucker...'dirty deeds done dirt cheap'?...where the hell did you find ANOTHER of Dean's stupid hats?"

Olivia laughed and sat on the bed beside her cousin, putting the Gatorade bottle on the bedside table, "I am sworn to secrecy - i'll never tell. Here," she handed Renee the bottle, "Dr. Ambrose said you were supposed to drink this instead of water until your electrolytes get replenished." Renee reached over and grabbed the bottle, "What flavour is it?" she asked.

"Blue."

Dean came in through the adjoining garage door and dropped his keys with his briefcase on the counter. He heard voices coming from upstairs, louder at first then softer again, and came upon the sight of Olivia standing facing Renee from his side of the bed, just as she yelled, "Renee, give it a rest!"

The two women looked at him, and Olivia looked from Renee back to Dean and wiped her eyes, "I'm - sorry...Renee, I just - excuse me..." she exited the room abruptly, brushing past Dean. A door semi-slammed and Dean looked wide-eyed at Renee.

"What the hell happened? Twenty minutes ago she was nursemaiding you through an all-day puke-a-thon?" he came to sit beside his wife on the bed and held her hand. Renee was quiet and pale and smiled wanly at Dean, "I asked her if she would consider going to the reunion with you tomorrow if I wasn't feeling up to it,"

 _"What? What do you mean 'if I'm not feeling up to it?' You'll sleep this off, get all glammed up tomorrow evening and relive past glories of Dr. Dean's all-state wrestling career while I sit in my pyjamas, curl up on the couch and finish watching Outlander on Netflix."_

 _Renee took another swig of blue Gatorade and looked at her cousin with a skeptical eye, "I currently feel like my stomach has been replaced with a bag of squirrels on meth - if by some miracle I actually make it through the night without reenacting The Exorcist, I am not going to feel like mingling with strangers while I eyeball the nearest bathroom the whole night. Dean has done nothing but talk about this reunion for months, I don't want to spoil it for him by making him stag it. And besides," She put a hand on Olivia's arm, " I think it's time for my wonderful amazing loving cousin who's seen some shit this year to actually have a night where she can kick up her heels a little...you deserve a little fun, Olivia."_

 _Olivia felt the bottom of her own stomach drop out on her. She couldn't look at Renee. She heard her heart pounding faster and louder in her ears. So loud, she almost couldn't hear her reply to Renee's prosposal, "I'm supposed to forget about my husband dying because some asshole didn't leave his car at the bar?" She shook her head, "'seen some shit'...christ..." Helplessly, she felt a surge of anger wash into her, and the next words were out of her mouth before she could stop them._

 _"Jesus Christ Renee, how can you think that a night getting awkwardly drunk with total strangers would be in any way FUN for me? I - " she reined in the random emotion, and lowered her voice to a civil level. "Renee, I'm sorry...I know you mean well, but I really don't think i'm ready for that." She wiped away the accumulated tears before they could fall, took a deep breath, and started to get off the bed._

 _"Olivia, this could be really good for you - Dean would be with you the whole time, you'd meet some of his friends from school, laugh at some stories, dance once or twice and come home. Possibly have a fun time, dust the rust off of the social skills, what could it hurt?"_

 _"Renee, please stop..."_

 _Renee sat up, winced at the protest from her stomach, and folded one leg underneath her, "Olivia, you are my family. Mark was my family...and baby Bean was my family too. I love you and I loved Mark because he completed you, and when I saw how happy the idea of being a mom made you...I loved little Bean..."_

 _Renee was quietly crying, "I want you to start living again, Olivia...this is such a little thing - but it's a step in the right direction. When was the last time you were social with anyone else besides me or Dean?"_

 _"Renee..."_

 _"I want you to start living again, Olivia..."_

 _Olivia spun around and faced Renee, "Renee, give it a rest!" There was movement by the door and they both looked up to see Dean standing bewildered in the doorway. Olivia, feeling ambushed by Renee, and not knowing what to say to either of them, was overwhelmed, "_ _she looked from Renee back to Dean and wiped her eyes, "I'm - sorry...Renee, I just - excuse me..." she exited the room abruptly, brushing past Dean._

Dean sighed, "I know you meant well, hon...but you've got to respect Olivia's right to her own path for healing and grieving...if she's not ready, you can't force her."

Renee looked up at him helplessly, "Dean, in two months it will have been a year...she hasn't been out once - not once! When is she ready, Dean? Do we wait another six months? a year? TEN YEARS?" She was yelling now, tears falling steadily down her cheeks. Dean gathered her in his arms and held her as she sobbed, "I miss my cousin, Dean, I miss her everyday and she lives in the same house I do. I see her go about her routine here - do you know she's morphed into, Dean? She has transformed from this beautiful, funny, crazy woman who had a husband who loved her, and was going to be a mom...into this grey shadow who only leaves the house to go for a run in the morning."

Dean hugged her close and kissed the top of her head, "I miss her too, Renee. We'll get her back, and it might not start right away, but maybe it could start with a night out...let me go and see what the damage is, maybe she just needs a moment to think it over."

Renee squeezed Dean tightly, loving the feeling of security being in his arms brought her...one more thing she wanted Olivia to feel again...and then she felt the lurch of her stomach. She bolted off the bed, and ran into the bathroom, getting the toilet lid up just in time.

Dean was behind her in seconds, holding her hair back with a cool damp cloth. She took the cloth without looking at Dean and wiped her mouth, "Thank you...now go and talk Olivia into going to the reunion dance thing tomorrow night. I can take it from here..." Dean hesitated, wanting to be there for Renee, but she shooed him out with a wave of her hand, "I've been throwing up all day, I've got the hang of it...please go to her..."

Reluctantly, he left the bathroom and paced around the bedroom, pondering what he was going to say to Olivia. He ran his hand roughly through his hair, took his tie off and threw it on the bed. He stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, releasing it heavily.

He walked over to Olivia's room and knocked on the door.

When Olivia ran into her room, she did something she never thought she would in Renee and Dean's house: she locked the door. Then she swore and unlocked it again. She paced back and forth, Renee's words playing on a loop in her head...

 _"You deserve a little fun, Olivia."_

 _" Have a fun time, dust the rust off of the social skills, what could it hurt?"_

 _"Olivia, I love you and I loved Mark because he completed you, and...I loved little Bean..."_

 _"I want you to start living again..."_

 _Olivia stopped._

 _"I want you to start living again, Olivia."_

She sat down hard on her bed, her pulse racing - the mere thought of being in a large group of people caused her to start hyperventilating. Renee had caught her off guard with the request, and that was probably part of the reason she had gone off on the deep end with her. Maybe a stronger reason was that the request had echoed too strongly the thoughts she herself had been having the last few days - accompanied by crushing guilt and anxiety at the thought of trying to "get out there".

Maybe it's not so crazy to want to get in the dating game again - Renee was right, Olivia had not had even a whiff of meeting someone else since Mark died last July. Maybe it was time.

She heard a quiet knock at the door, and sighed, hoping Renee would forgive her for her outburst.

She opened the door to a concerned Dean, "Mind if I come in?" Olivia stepped aside to let him in, and sat down on her bed, giving Dean plenty of space to sit beside her. He said nothing, until finally Olivia looked at him, "Well? Isn't this the part where you go all Dr. Mental Health and tell me how much progress I've been making and how we're at the point where I need to start getting back into the world and interacting with the rest of humanity again? Become a normal person again?" She flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

Dean sighed, "Livs, I've respected your need to heal privately, and I think you're almost there. But the real test is transitioning back into the real world - go grocery shopping, come out to the movies..."

"Go to a class reunion?" she asked skeptically, sitting up.

He put a brotherly arm around her, "It's an option...we go, I say hi to a few people, we leave. It could be that simple. It's a step. How long we stay would be completely up to you. And if it's a real issue for you, you don't have to go, absolutely no pressure. Your choice." He kissed the top of her head and got up, stopping before he got to the door, "But someday you are going to have bite the bullet and get out there - you can't hide away from the world forever, Olivia."

Olivia knew Dean was right - she knew Renee was right too. She closed her eyes, "Dean..."

Dean turned around, eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"Do you think Renee's dress will fit?"

The following morning was Saturday, Olivia had come back from her run, and Renee hadn't woken up yet. She grabbed her post-run smoothie out of the fridge and drank it in the kitchen by herself. She went up the stairs, and heard voices in Renee and Dean's bedroom. She knocked quietly on the door and poked her head in, "Ree? How are you feeling this morning?"

Renee looked up, "Well I'm not puking anymore, so that's a bonus. But I feel like I could sleep all day - are you really sure you want to do this?"

Olivia smiled and walked over to her cousin, "No...but you're right...I've got to start somewhere. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet Prince Charming at the ball...do you think you're feeling up to helping with my hair and makeup this evening? It's been a while since I've had to worry about fussing."

Renee grabbed Olivia's hand and squeezed, "I don't think you need much fussing with."

Olivia pulled at the bottom of Renee's little black dress - it fit mostly fine everywhere, but was a little more thigh-high than she was expecting.

"Okay, stop fidgeting and sit down - that dress looks totally amazing on you, by the way," Renee sat Olivia down in front of her vanity mirror and started to work her cosmetic magic. Olivia was fascinated, she had never really been one for the whole daily makeup thing, but Renee worked for the local Cincinnati sports channel and had more than one trick up her sleeve. By the time Renee had finished with her, Olivia almost didn't recognize herself.

"Oh my god, Renee...I look..."

Dean appeared at the door, "You look even more beautiful than you usually do, Livs." He walked up to Renee and kissed her cheek, "You're not looking too bad yourself, darlin'..."

Renee smiled, "Well, I'm not vomiting currently, so that's a plus." She checked her phone, "And if you guys don't get going, you're going to be late for the ball."

Olivia stood up and smoothed the front of her dress, took a deep breath and turned to face Dean and Renee. She managed a nervous smile, "Let's go."

Dean looked over at Olivia, "You okay over there?" Olivia hadn't said a word since they left the house, but sat staring out the passenger window.

"Slightly terrified, but hanging in there..." She looked over at him, "So who are you most looking forward to seeing again?"

Dean smiled as a multitude of faces popped up in his memory, "Well, I was kind of a jock in high school. I was on the baseball team - never really made a mark there though. What I loved was the wrestling team - the group of guys I went to state with senior year, we were like brothers. I see some of them on social media, but it's different - I could sit down with any one of those guys even after fifteen years, and it would be like no time had passed at all. My best friend from high school was on that team - Seth Rollins...he was something to watch on the mat - he set the record for fastest pin that year - six minutes and thirty-five seconds. I'm hoping he'll be here tonight - we're friends on Facebook, but he's almost never on it."

Olivia's stomach rolled as she saw the hotel come into view. "There she is," Dean commented as he pulled up to the valet parking. They got out and Dean offered Olivia his arm. Olivia took it and held on for dear life - she wasn't sure which was worse - the droves of pterodactyls that had taken wing in her stomach, or the sudden uptick of her heartrate as they approached the registration table.

Dean smiled at the women in charge of the table, "Danielle, Genevieve...good to see you ladies..." They both smiled widely at him, and one actually squealed, "OMG! Dean Ambrose? We missed you at the ten year! So glad you made this one!" She tottered around the table to give Dean a hug, and Olivia casually walked a few steps away from Dean, giving him time to reconnect with some of his former classmates. She looked at the dribs and drabs of people coming up the front stairs, and her gaze landed on one man in particular making his way to the registration table.

He was tall, with wavy rich brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His charcoal suit and shirt were set off by the grey silk tie he wore. He met her gaze and when she realized she had been staring at him, her eyes widened with embarrassment. She tried looking anywhere but at him, but those dark eyes drew her back to him.

Dean extricated himself from the giggly clutches of Danielle and Genevieve and walked over to Olivia. He saw the look on her face, and called to her, "Livs? You okay?" He looked to where she was staring and a smile broke across his face, "Seth? Dude, is that you?"

Seth Rollins walked up to his brother, his former comrade, and his best friend for some very difficult years and extended his hand, "Been a long time, man. How you been, Dean?"

Dean drew Seth into a hug, "Been good, busy...but good." He pulled back and looked back at Olivia, "Seth Rollins, this is Renee's cousin Olivia. Renee's fighting some kind of bug, so Olivia very kindly offered to be my date so I didn't have to stag it." He noticed Seth's single arrival, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"We're kind of both here solo, but together," Olivia offered.

Seth grinned at Dean, then Olivia, "Trust me, I'm quite happy to be here solo." He offered his hand to her, "Nice to meet you Olivia."

Olivia's hand moved of its own volition and she heard a voice say, "Me too."

Her hand was in his for a moment longer than it needed to be, and she felt a whoosh of heat overcome her and she felt herself tipping forward. Seth caught her by the arms, then Dean turned her to face him, a look of concern on his face, "You okay, Livs?"

She looked at Dean and nodded, "I think I'm just a little dehydrated - can we go in and get a drink?"

Dean nodded and looked to Seth, "Care to join us? I'd love to get caught up - fifteen years is a long time..."

Seth smiled, and walked into the ballroom with them, falling into step beside Olivia. She stole a quick glance up at him, trying to get a sense of what kind of person Dean had invited to their table. She tried to catch Dean's eye to tell him she didn't think this was a very good idea, but her was scanning the room for a table for three. She looked up at Seth again and saw him quickly look away. Huh. That's interesting...She saw him smile to himself as she continued to watch him, then realized she was still staring at him.

She realized that not only was Seth devastatingly handsome, but he smelled SO good - some combination of botanicals and concrete after the rain - who the hell thought of these deadly combinations? She was relieved when Dean finally found a small intimate table with empty chairs and they sat. Dean's phone buzzed and he frowned, "Hang tight here a minute, Livs - I'm just going to check in with Renee - be right back." He looked concerned as he quickly walked to find a quiet place to answer the call.

Olivia poured herself a glass of water, and reminded herself she was here to have fun. She offered a glass to Seth and smiled. He smiled back, causing Olivia to fumble the glass as she passed it over. His reflexes were faster and he caught the glass, covering her hand with his, and dodged what could have been a nasty spill on his pants. "Oh my god, I am so sorry...I guess I am a little nervous to be here tonight."

"No need to apologize, I don't think there's anyone here tonight who's not a little nervous at revisiting their high school history." He took a sip of the water and pointed out a few people, "She got drunk at the Homecoming Dance and puked as she was crowned Homecoming Queen...he got caught peeing in the change room showers...and that guy blew up the chem lab in senior year...twice."

Olivia had to laugh, "Well, that does make me feel a bit better...thank you. It's been a while since I've been in a huge crowd of people, or any people really...I'm a bit worried I've forgotten how to be social."

Seth regarded her thoughtfully, he thought there was something more to Olivia's story, but would let her tell it when she was ready. "Well, you're doing just fine - laughing helps, and you have a lovely laugh..."

Dean showed up with a round of beers, and sat down between them. "How's Renee?" Olivia asked.

Dean sighed, "Well she's probably more comfortable being at home, considering she just did another dance at the porcelain disco...I told her to call me if she starts feeling sick again - this might be short night, Livs...sorry."

"You still with Renee?" Seth asked, taking a pull at his beer.

Dean waggled his wedding ring, "She even made an honest man of me - been married five years this past April."

"Impressive...you guys were always a great couple - she never did put up with any of your bullshit," Seth laughed.

Olivia got up abruptly, "Excuse me, please." She needed air. She needed to be where people weren't. She spotted an exit and made a beeline for it, leaving Dean and Seth to stare after her.

Seth watched Olivia step outside and looked to Dean, "Is she okay?"

Dean pursed his lips, wondering how much of Olivia's story - if any - was his to tell. He went with his gut and decided to stick to broad strokes, and let Olivia fill in the details if and when she felt it was appropriate. "Olivia lost her husband to a drunk driver almost a year ago. She's been living with us since October while she went through grief therapy at my clinic. Tonight is the first time she's been out in public in six months - she is still healing, but maybe it was a stretch to think things would be smooth sailing. I should go find her, and see if she's okay..." He stood up, but Seth found himself putting a hand on Dean's arm as he stood up himself.

"Would it be weird if I went to talk to her?"

Dean frowned, "Well kinda...you just met her..."

Seth nodded, "But how long would she stay if you went out there and gave her a choice - stay or go? I'm betting right now she'd be very tempted to take the easy way out and run away. If I go out and see how she is...maybe she would consider a third option?"

Dean looked suspicious, "A third option?" he echoed.

"One dance - if she wants to go after that, at least she's taken that extra step. She's made human contact with a stranger and gone one small step out of her current comfort zone."

"Why do you want to help her? - you hardly know her," Dean remained skeptical.

Seth held up placating hands, "She's your family. She's seems like a nice person. I can tell she's hurting, Dean - if I can help in some small way, I'd like to try..."

Dean had known Seth for a long time. It wasn't out of line with his character to put himself out there for a stranger - he had wanted Olivia to have fun tonight - to forget for just a moment that she was coming out of a tragic situation. He had meant to do just what Seth mentioned: give Olivia the choice to stay or go. She had fulfilled the offer he had made: get there, meet a few people, leave. What if something made her want to stay?

"I loved you like a brother, Seth, but remember this - hurt her and you will regret it."

Seth nodded solemnly, and walked to Olivia's exit.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Seth moved towards the exit doors he'd seen Olivia use, trying not to get caught up talking with his former classmates. The enormity of Olivia coming to the reunion tonight was starting to sink in, and he was feeling the pressure. He ran a hand over his beard, and stopped for a moment. He was trying to think of what he could possibly say that wouldn't sound a)creepy, b) like he was trying to make a move, or c) pathetic.

He poured himself a glass of water and stopped to collect his thoughts. This particular situation, funnily enough, had never entered into the realm of possibility. When he had received the invitation six months ago, he almost threw it away - in the middle of a financial audit to secure investors required to expand his CrossFit gym franchise, he was told quite bluntly by the auditor that his girlfriend and business partner had been embezzling funds and funneling them into her own accounts. He had scrambled to prevent his fledgling fitness empire - three gyms in Decatur, Davenport, and Cincinnati - from being taken away from him completely. He had remortgaged his home in Davenport, gotten rid of his girlfriend after an acrimonious split, and had to postpone his plans to open a fourth gym in Indianapolis indefinitely. Not exactly the circumstances he wanted to come back to a reunion with.

He had been pretty miserable for about a month afterwards, and of course had spent it ghosting through social media. Seeing the recent and older pictures of his classmates on the reunion Facebook page took him back and actually made him feel better. He knew where he'd been, he knew where he was now, and there was no reason he couldn't go back there again. He'd sent his RSVP in the next day.

Seth had arrived tonight with absolutely no expectations beyond having a drink and catching up with old friends. When he saw Olivia standing at the registration table, he immediately rearranged his mental itinerary - hoping she was someone he'd never had a chance to meet in high school. She looked nervous; eyes wide, standing by the table, looking out at the crowds coming in and clasping her hands in front of her - she looked like she was ready to run. He continued closer and looked back over at where the registration table and realized she had been watching him approach. Her eyes flitted away guiltily, but he didn't look away when she did. He couldn't. Her eyes kept coming back to him as he got closer, and when he finally arrived at registration, he was deeply disappointed to see Olivia was here with one of his brothers from high school, Dean Ambrose. For Seth, that meant she was off-limits.

He was genuinely pleased to see Dean, and when Dean introduced her as Renee's cousin, internally he was doing backflips. When he took Olivia's hand to shake it, he thought maybe the feeling was mutual when she didn't release her grip right away...and figured it was a sure thing when she lost her balance and stumbled right into his arms. Things were definitely looking up.

Seth wasn't stupid - everything in Olivia's manner and body language told him she was anxious about being here - he wanted to get to know her better, but there was definitely a wall there that he'd have to negotiate for that to happen. Had she been hurt? Betrayed, like he had? He knew about allowing yourself to trust other people again - after Zahra's betrayal, he had sealed everyone else off for months, not wanting to put himself through the pain again. She was slowly relaxing, and when he'd gotten her to laugh he knew he wanted to be able to do that again.

He thought that things were going well, hearing that Dean and Renee had been married made such perfect sense - she was his kind of crazy, but also had a certain level of moderation that apparently had done much to temper his insanity from high school. When Olivia abruptly left, he was rocked by Dean's revelation. Seth's offer to speak to Olivia was out before Seth even realized he had done it.

Dean's reaction was a fair one - Seth had only met her, what could it matter to him if Olivia stayed or left?

Seth found he didn't have a concrete answer, he just knew that if Olivia left with Dean right now - it could easily be months before she worked up the courage to get out again. He wanted to help her, and although his own personal history could not compare to Olivia's, he knew a little bit about rebuilding a life when everything has been taken from you - firsthand knowledge that he didn't think Dean could speak to.

He released a breath he hadn't known he was holding when Dean gave his permission for Seth to speak to Olivia. Dean had no real reason to trust Seth - their bond in high school had been strong, but they had drifted apart - Seth didn't want to let his brother down.

So here he stood in front of the exit Olivia had taken, with no idea what he was going to say to her.

He took a breath, and pushed through the door. The evening had stayed warm, and Seth had to loosen his tie and undo to top button of his shirt. He surveyed the terrace and found her by the stone parapet, leaning against a pillar, hugging herself and looking out onto the gardens -for a wonder, she was alone out here. Quietly, he walked over to where she was, stopping at a spot a few feet away. Close enough so that she couldn't help but see him, but far enough away so that he wasn't intruding in whatever moment she was trying to have. A few minutes passed, and as Seth was about to turn to speak to Olivia, there she was beside him.

"Hey there."

"Hey there yourself." Well, it was a start...

Neither of them looked at the other, and while the silence was extended - it wasn't awkward, either. The grounds of the hotel were green and a bit wild, with the summer sun leaving, it might have been romantic.

Finally, Olivia turned and leaned back against the parapet, her arms crossed in front of her. "Did Dean send you out here to get me?" she asked quietly.

Seth folded his hands in front of him, leaning on the wall, but not meeting Olivia's eyes, "Not exactly. He wants to make sure you're okay. I actually came out here to see if you would come back inside with me." He felt like he was juggling eggs - he was so worried about saying the wrong thing that would send Olivia running - he had folded his hands so she wouldn't be able to see them shake.

"Back inside?" Olivia's brow furrowed, and she shook her head, "Why would you want me to come back inside with you?" She had turned her body as she spoke, half-facing him.

Seth pursed his lips thoughtfully, composing his words with care, and opted to go for full honesty with her, "Dean told me about your husband...that he died. I'm sorry..."

Olivia smiled tightly, and closed her eyes. It had been a while since a total stranger had offered her condolences - inwardly, she swore at Dean for laying out her family history, then sending someone else out here to come and get her when all she wanted to do was go home. "Don't worry about it...he wasn't your husband..." the words came out harsher than she had intended, and Olivia immediately regretted them. Seth nodded, saying nothing in return. Olivia kicked herself mentally, he seemed like a nice person, trying to do the right thing - and as her therapist at Dean's clinic had often said: 'For god's sake, Olivia, don't bite their heads off if people are trying to be nice to you!'

So she tried to tamp down the demons - the bitterness, the anger, the helplessness - and carry on a conversation with another human being.

"Thank you...for your concern..." she pushed forward, knowing that it would only be harder to talk about it the longer she put it off. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, I haven't spoken to anyone about-" his name stuck in her throat for a moment, "- about Mark in a while...at least not anyone who wasn't Dean, Renee, or my therapist..." She mirrored his posture, leaning over the wall and folding her hands in front of her, "I suppose I should get used to it."

Seth frowned, "If you don't want to talk about him, you don't have to. Don't let anyone - me, Dean, your therapist...don't let anyone make you do anything you don't know is in your own best interest. You know better than anyone else what the best way for you to heal is - listen to yourself, Olivia." He spoke with quiet intensity that made Olivia wonder what experience Seth spoke from.

The silence that fell between them this time was more comfortable than before, Olivia was enjoying the view - the grounds were small, but their slightly unkempt look spoke to her, and the sun setting over metropolitan Cincinnati made a postcard-perfect sunset. She looked over at Seth and thought maybe she could allow herself to have a little fun...

She heard strains of a familiar song she had loved as a senior in high school, singing it in front of her bedroom mirror far too many times. A tiny crack had appeared in the wall she'd spent the last ten months building. She didn't stop to think what was best. She didn't think about what Dean would say.

"Seth?"

He turned his head and she was caught briefly by his dark eyes, still sparking with the intensity he had spoken to her with. She spoke before her demons could make another resurgence, "Would - would you like to dance...with me?"

He straightened slowly with an uncertain smile on his face, "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure about anything anymore - but I loved this song when I was in high school, and you did come out here to ask me for a dance, so..." she stood in front of him in Renee's borrowed little black dress, arms folded tightly across her body, not sure what to do next.

Seth took a step towards her, and offered her his arm with a hopeful smile, "Well, let's go then."

Dean had been able to chit chat with some of his old classmates, but when he realized Seth had been gone for almost an hour, he scanned the room trying to spot them. When he finally saw them, Olivia was holding on to Seth's arm as he led them onto the dance floor. Dean had to stop himself from pumping a victorious fist in the air - he had been prepared to call it a night and try again in another three of four months. To the casual observer, Olivia looked calm, but Dean saw her eyes flicking nervously back and forth. Still, she hadn't run, and Dean was going to count that as a small victory. A crazy grin came over his face, and he pulled out his phone to take a picture and send to Renee.

Olivia faced Seth and put a hand on his shoulder as Seth slid a hand along the small of her back, just under the hem of her backless dress. He held her close, and she slipped her right hand into his, his fingers closing over her hand. Olivia looked up and him, and smiled shyly. "Now we just sway back and forth, right?" she asked.

Seth returned her smile, trying to hide his own nerves, "That sounds right - it's been a while since i've been to a prom." He began to lead her in a slow circle around the dance floor, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

"Really?" Olivia teased, "You can't tell me you haven't been in a club recently..."

Seth looked wounded, "Do I really look like the kind of guy who hits the bars on a regular basis?" Olivia looked at him expectantly, and he laughed, "Okay, until about ten months ago, but I don't recall ever dancing with anyone like this - this is a bit more old school...I like it." His dark eyes caught hers once again, and she blushed. She couldn't recall any dance from high school ever being like this - everything was so overwhelming - the warmth of Seth's hand at the small of her back holding her, the scent of his cologne, and those eyes…Jesus, those eyes should be illegal. She looked away quickly, but couldn't resist bringing her gaze back in line with his.

"So...what do you do, Seth Rollins?" she needed to distract herself from the sensory overload.

"I'm an entrepreneur...I have a very tiny fitness empire that at this moment encompasses Decatur, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; and Cincinnati, Ohio - every one of those cities has a "Cross the Line" CrossFit gym in it owned by yours truly," he couldn't help the tone of pride that coloured his voice when he spoke about his gyms. He had worked bloody hard to start each one, and keep them running at a high level of quality.

"That's pretty impressive - how long has it taken you to get all three up and running?"

"I started with a gym here in Cincinnati about six years ago - I was the sole owner, instructor, dishwasher, janitor, maintenance guy, garbage guy...for about a year, then I was able to get a few more instructors, and start looking for a way to build another gym in Davenport...it has been a constant uphill struggle, but I'm pretty proud of what I've turned it into. I'm looking at opening another gym in Indianapolis, but I've had a few setbacks in the last year, so that's had to be put on the backburner for now…" his eyes lost their focus just for a moment as he recalled the near-disaster Zahra had caused. It was only a moment, and then his attention was back on Olivia, "What about you?"

Olivia ignored the frightened voices that were screaming at her to run and find a quiet place to hide, "Well for the last ten months, I've been on a leave from my position as a music teacher for the Seattle School District. I taught high school mainly, instrumental and choral - we were working on a production of Beauty and the Beast when - well, when Mark was killed." Mentioning Mark's name broke the tenuous connection between Olivia and Seth as she dropped her eyes to his chest to hide the tears that had sprung up from nowhere.

Seth stopped and loosened his hold on Olivia, "We don't have to talk about it - we can talk about anything else you like." He dipped his head to try to catch Olivia's eyes again, "Should we go sit down?"

Olivia shook her head, "No." She quickly wiped the gathering tears before they could fall, "I'm okay. It's good to talk about it - about Mark." She wasn't yet ready to talk about little Bean, so for now she remained safely secret. She looked up at him again, "But maybe we could talk about him again another time? Baby steps…" She slipped her right hand back into his, and replaced her left hand on his shoulder. Seth held her close once again and began their slow spiral around the dance floor.

They didn't speak again until the music changed. Seth smiled at Olivia and started to head back to their table when he realized Olivia wasn't following him. She was still standing on the dance floor, looking at him expectantly, "Could we try that again?" Seth felt his heart start pounding against his ribcage as he took Olivia into his arms for one more dance.

Dean watched Olivia and Seth go back for another dance, and felt a small hope grow that maybe Olivia was going to be okay after all. When they stayed out on the dance floor, he called Renee. "Hey babe - guess what? I think Livs is actually enjoying herself - you'll never guess who she's been dancing with for the last half hour. Seth Freakin Rollins! I - "

"Honey, I think maybe you better come home - I - I think I need to go to the ER…"

Dean stomach lurched - Renee never went to the doctor, let alone the ER - when she said she needed to go, it was serious. "I'm on my way babe - I'm grabbing Livs and we'll be there in ten minutes."

He walked over to Seth and Olivia two-stepping to that an Queen song, "Livs, Seth…I'm so sorry guys but Renee is really not doing well - we've got to go. I'm going to have to take her to the ER."

Olivia's face went from carefree to concerned instantly, "Oh my god, Dean - well let's go! We shouldn't have left her at home…"

Dean didn't have time to counter Olivia, "I'm going to go and get the car, I'll meet you at the front in a minute." He walked as quickly as he could to the valet, leaving Olivia and Seth to say their goodbyes.

She looked up at him, not really knowing what to say. This was the first night in months that she had felt something that wasn't sad or mad or worse - nothing. Olivia didn't know what he was to her - she had only known Seth for a few hours, but she thought she wanted to see him again. Even if it was just someone to talk to…

"I can't stay…I'm so sorry, Seth," she stood there, wringing her hands nervously. She couldn't shake the butterflies that decided to hatch at that moment, making her feel a bit like she was thirteen again.

Seth took a step toward her and took her stuttering hands in his, "If you want to, I'm in town for the next two weeks, visiting my parents. Maybe I could give you a call sometime and we could go for coffee?"

Olivia smiled brightly and nodded, "I think I'd like that." Seth pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and put Olivia's name into his contacts list. He traded phones with her, and they exchanged numbers.

"Let me walk you out?" he offered. Olivia nodded, and Seth offered her his arm once more. They arrived at the valet stand just as Dean's car arrived, and as Dean went to tip the valet, Olivia turned to Seth to say goodbye.

"I can't tell you how glad I am I came tonight. Even if you don't call me, for whatever reason…tonight was-"

"Tonight was the most fun I've had in a very long time. I would like to see you again, but if you change your mind - "

"I won't." Olivia couldn't contain the quaver that her madly thumping heart was causing.

"I will call you tomorrow, Olivia. That's a promise."

Olivia heard Dean call, and pulled herself away from Seth, feeling a bit like Cinderella. She knew a promise to a stranger probably wasn't worth much, but she tried to bask in the lightness she had forgotten was even possible, even if it only lasted for the ride home.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The drive home from the reunion was a thoughtful silence punctuated by nosy questions - Dean tried to take his mind off of worrying about Renee by asking Olivia questions about Seth. Olivia didn't have any answers about Seth, she was still trying to process the evening herself.

"So…good night?"

"Did you send Seth out to the terrace?"

"What did you think of him?"

"He's um…"

 _Gorgeous._

 _Thoughtful._

 _Sexy._

 _Devastatingly Handsome._

 _Irreparably Charming…shall I go on?_

"He's very nice," she finished lamely.

Dean sighed, "Nice? Jeez, Livs, I am not going to tell Seth that you called him 'nice'."

"Dean, I just met the guy - thanks for sending him out to the terrace by the way, not awkward at all - what do you want me to say? He's smart, sensitive, funny, sexy… employed? Give me a minute and I'm sure I can come up with a half dozen more, but they might make you uncomfortable. "

Dean held up a hand, surrendering, "That's fine, thank you. Look, I apologize, but technically I didn't send him anywhere… I didn't want you to go - you seemed like you'd been having a not-terrible time, and he offered to see if you were okay."

 _He did?_

"He did?"

"He did," Dean confirmed. "I was going to and get you - it was pretty obvious you didn't want to stay - even Seth could tell you were upset. He offered to see how you were, and maybe convince you to stay - I thought, 'what the hell?' If he couldn't get you to stay - no harm, no foul, right?"

Olivia was silent in the passenger seat. Dean took her silence as brooding, and sighed, "I just wanted you to have a good night, Livs. If I overstepped, or if Seth is not your cup of tea - I apologize for trying to play a little matchmaker. I might have let nostalgia colour my judgement a bit tonight."

Olivia couldn't let Dean continue to berate himself for the best part of her night, "Dean - it's fine, really. I was a caught a bit off-guard at first, but Seth seems like a great guy - I can see why the two of you would have been so close in high school." She tried and failed to hide a mega-watt smile, "We exchanged phone numbers - we have a tentative coffee date set."

The car came to an abrupt screeching halt, and Dean stared at her agape, "Are you fuckin' kidding me? Are you telling me you have a DATE?"

Olivia unclenched her fingers from the car dash, "Holy crap, Dean - potty mouth much? Yes, I have a date - maybe. If he calls me." She punched him when she saw the fair imitation of a guppy fish he continued to make, "Jesus, can we go? The neighbours are going to wonder what the hell is going on." The mega-watt smile was undimmed, if anything it was contagious as it spread to Dean, who put the car in gear and drove the few more meters down the road to their driveway.

Olivia and Dean got out of the car and quickly made their way inside the house. Dean took the stairs two at a time to get to Renee. The lights were all on, and the TV was on in Renee and Dean's bedroom upstairs. Renee herself was half-asleep, propped against the tub in the bathroom, two empty water bottles and a half-sleeve of saltines littering the floor by the door. Dean dropped to her side and felt her forehead - it was pale and clammy, but Renee was burning up. "Olivia, grab a blanket and bring it here." The physician kicked in, and Dean's tone of voice was one that made you step-to.

Olivia grabbed the duvet from the bed and brought it to Dean, who wrapped Renee up to keep her warm in the car ride to the hospital. He knew an internist at Evendale Hospital who he hoped would admit Renee without having to make her wait hours in the emergency waiting room. He collected Renee, who moaned quietly at the sudden movement, and kissed the top of her head tenderly, "It's okay, darlin' - I've got you. It's gonna be okay." Olivia grabbed Renee's purse from the kitchen table as Dean took Renee to the car. As an afterthought, Olivia grabbed her own sneakers so she could ease her aching feet from the heels she'd worn all night and raced out to the car.

Dean dialed the internist at Evandale and crossed his fingers. "Roman? Dean Ambrose here - good, listen I need a huge favour. My wife Renee has been throwing up on and off for the last thirty-six hours. She's pale, clammy and she started running a fever tonight - what are the chances you can get her admitted without having to go through emerg?" Olivia waited tensely with Renee in the back seat, crossing her fingers. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Dean's reply. "Oh thank god - you are a lifesaver, Roman - I'm really worried about her - she is never sick…yeah, okay…we'll meet you at admitting in about twenty minutes. Thanks again, brother."

He breathed a full body sigh of relief, trying to control the ragged tone to his voice, "Roman and I went through our internships at Evendale together - he just finished his last year of residency last year and got on staff there. He's amazing - he's going to meet us at the hospital and get the paperwork going on Renee."

"Roman Reigns? Sounds like a gothic novel anti-hero…I expect he'll be large and silent and broody - does he look like John Snow?" Olivia tried to keep the mood light.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, he does actually…He got his share of ribbing over the last few years , I won't lie - no one gave him the gears too badly though, the guy is totally jacked…he's a good guy - superb doctor - he's worked harder than anyone else to get where he is. He's maybe put a few people's noses out of joint, but I wouldn't trust Renee's life to anyone else."

Olivia felt a little better hearing Dean's confidence in his friend - it was a theme in Dean's relationships, you had to show him you were worth the effort at first, but once you'd made it past the entrance exam, you were in the family for life.

Dean pulled up to the admitting entrance and put the four-way flashers on. Olivia carefully manoeuvred Renee into a sitting position on the sidewalk side of the car, and scooted closer to get Renee ready to sit in the wheelchair Dr. Reigns was bringing out. Dean reached Renee and gingerly scooped her out of the car and into the wheelchair, tucking the duvet around her to keep her warm. His face searched Renee's for any sign of consciousness, and finding none, took on a look resembling madness as he took the wheelchair from Dr. Reigns and wheeled Renee into the hospital.

"What floor, Rome?" he asked.

Roman put a hand on his arm, stopping Dean in his mad rush to get Renee better. "Dean, stop a minute. You need to calm down a minute and tell me exactly what happened to Renee, and then you have to get the paperwork started. I will do this favour for you - even though technically I probably shouldn't -but we have to tread as close to the line as we can," he handed Dean a clipboard with admissions paperwork on it and took them to the closest elevator. Dean was trying to dig out his wallet and hold onto the clipboard at the same time. Before the clipboard could fall to the floor, Olivia quietly took it from him, and began filling out the personal information she knew about Renee. Dean gave Olivia a look of thanks, and wrestled with the tightly packed plastic cards in his wallet to find the insurance cards.

"Thanks for doing this, Dr. Reigns - Renee is never sick - and I've never seen her like this…" Olivia tried to make small talk to ease the tense silence in the elevator. Roman looked over at her, and she offered her hand, "I'm Olivia, Renee's cousin - I live with them." Roman took her hand, smiling gently, "It's Roman. We'll figure out what's wrong with Renee - I'm sure we can send her home soon, no worries."

Roman led them down to a private room on the third floor by the Lab, and went to get the lab tech he had standing by. They entered the room, and Olivia and Dean stepped back to give them space to work. While the tech began prepping Renee's arm for blood collection, Roman unpacked a blood collection kit. Seeing the tubes and vials and needles reminded Olivia of the last time she had been in a hospital. She had been the one motionless in the bed - pale, fragile…Olivia thought it was a good time to talk a short walk. She looked over at Dean, and realized he needed to get out - he was almost as pale as Renee, and the hand covering his mouth was shaking. "Dean?" she asked kindly. He looked over at her, as if realizing she was still in the room. "Why don't we give these guys a bit of privacy?" Dean nodded and she guided him towards the door, "Roman? Is there a snack machine or something on this floor?"

Roman stepped away from Renee, "Yeah, there's a family room just down the hall on the right. There's coffee on, but if you want good coffee I would hit the Starbucks back down in the Admitting lobby. The cafeteria is on that floor as well - you can bring anything back here, if you want to stay close. Sample collection doesn't take long, but I'm thinking there will be a few more diagnostic tests to find the culprit." He took Renee's medical chart from the plastic case at the foot of the bed and made notations, "While the lab is working on her blood, I'm going to see when I can get her down into imaging - see what an ultrasound can show me. I'm going to get her on a saline drip and try to get her fluids back. We'll be out of here in about a half hour - which reminds me," He pulled a patient wristband out of his pocket and put it on Renee, "I had someone in Admitting owe me a favour - someone up there must like you, Ambrose." He turned back to the lab tech, "Run a BUN on these, we'll do a cystocenteisis to rule out a UTI…" an odd look came over his face, "make sure we check hematocrit levels too."

Dean nodded silently and took a final look at his wife, looking so small and frail on the hospital bed. He blew her a quick kiss and let Olivia lead him down to the elevator. He ran a hand roughly through his hair and began to fight his way out of the suit jacket until Olivia stopped him and helped him slide his arms out of the sweaty coat. "She's going to be fine, Dean - I know she looks- "

"I've never seen her look that small, Livs - I mean she's not big, but lying there in that bed - " Olivia pulled Dean into a hug, trying to give him some reassurance. Dean held on tightly, "She's my whole world, Livs…" Olivia fought against the tears that rose up in her throat as a wave of memories surged over her; she tried desperately to be the strong one. Dean let her go and roughly wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He put an arm around her, and took them both into the elevator down to the cafeteria.

As the elevator descended, Dean realized what he'd actually said to Olivia. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, "God Olivia, I'm such an ass…I didn't even think when I said that about Renee…I'm sorry, if you want me to take you home - I can check with Rome and see when he thinks Renee is going into the ultrasound…" Olivia tucked further into Dean's sidehug and put her arms around him, "I'm staying right here. You guys were there for me when no one else was - if you think I'm going to abandon either of you now…this is part of being a human being, right? I don't want to be bubble-wrapped forever…" Dean placed a kiss on the top of her head, and gave her an extra squeeze.

When the elevator opened, Olivia remembered that the car was still sitting in the clearly labelled "No Parking Zone". She turned to Dean, "Can you get me an Americano with no sugar and room for cream - or almond milk, or something? I'm going to park the car - I'll meet you in the cafeteria?"

Dean looked at her sideways, "Are you sure? I could park the car, then we could go get a coffee."

"Dean - baby steps, right? Divide and conquer - I'll find a spot a blind person could park in - no worries, I got this," she gave him a double thumbs up and clapped her hands for the keys.

Dean nodded assent and tossed her the car keys, "Americano - got it. Better make it almond milk - Renee will have kittens if she hears we went to the dark side…"

Olivia walked out to the car, turned off the four-way flashers and gingerly drove the car into a parking stall. Since the car accident, it had been one of her goals to get comfortable in a moving vehicle again. It hadn't been easy - no pun intended, but it had been a long, hard road to even get to this point. The first time she had tried to even be a passenger in Renee's car, she had made it about a block in their suburban neighbourhood before having an anxiety attack and having to walk home.

Thinking back on it now, it was a ridiculous sight: The neighbours peeking out from behind drawn curtains - one or two had been out mowing their lawns, and had turned off the mowers to watch Olivia walking as fast as she could back towards home with Renee's Prius looking like it was quietly stalking her; Olivia yelling, "just drive the damn car home, Renee!" and Renee yelling out her window, "I'm not leaving you behind, you stupid idiot!" At the time, Olivia had been furious with Renee for making such a big deal about it, and equally mad at herself for not being able to even sit in a car without breaking down. Now, every time she thought about it, she couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Olivia and Renee in the world's slowest and weirdest Grand Prix.

She was better about being in the car now, and had started putting in some more time behind the wheel a few months ago. Nothing crazy - going out for a short drive around the block, mostly. This was the first time she'd actually had to park the thing, though and she wasn't totally certain that she should have volunteered to do it, especially in a busy lot like Evendale's. She drove around for a few minutes, passing up some available spots because she wasn't sure of her ability to park in between the cars. Miraculously, a car was pulling out of an end spot as she drove up to it and she jumped on it, neatly putting the Prius between the lines.

Olivia grabbed her sneakers from the back seat and traded them for the heels that were starting to make her feet throb. She got out to admire her parking handiwork, and gave herself a congratulatory pat on the back. She felt the buzz of her phone, and grabbed it from her purse, expecting to see a question about her cafeteria order from Dean. Her heart simultaneously dropped into her toes and jumped up in her throat when she saw it was from Seth.

 **Hey there…just checking to make sure you guys are okay - how's Renee doing?**

Holy shit…Olivia checked the time on her phone - it was almost midnight and she couldn't believe he was texting her. She stopped her mental crazy train and reminded herself that he was texting her because he didn't have Dean's number…that and the fact that he had known Renee back in school, so would probably be understandably concerned for her. Olivia stopped to reply, not trusting her shaking fingers to type while she was walking.

 **Hey yourself! She's been admitted and they are doing some tests - she wasn't conscious when we came home. Dean knows a guy here who is looking after her. I think she'll be okay.**

She made her way back to the lobby to meet up with Dean, and felt the buzz of another text as she walked back into the hospital. She waited just a moment before looking at it, holding it against her chest and taking a breath, trying not to feel like she was twelve again.

 **Are you okay?**

She released a shaky breath, not really sure where this was all going, or of how much she should actually say to someone she only just met a few hours ago. Before she could second-guess herself, she replied.

 **I just parked a car for the first time in over a year.**

She kept going before Seth had a chance to reply.

 **My best friend and only family is in the hospital and I can't help her.**

Her fingers kept going, and suddenly it hit home for her.

 **I haven't been in a hospital since Mark died. If I actually stop thinking about Renee, I'm afraid of what might happen.**

She dropped into a nearby couch and placed her phone on the table in front of it. Her hands cupped her mouth and nose as she tried to regain a bit of control over the emotions that were starting to bubble up. She was tired, and hungry and her routine had been thrown for a serious curveball tonight.

Breathing shallowly but slowly, she sat there and ignored the buzz of a texted reply until her pulse slowed down and she could feel the shakiness leave her hands. She picked up her phone and checked the reply. Two more texts came through as she read the first. The last was from Dean.

 **Find Dean.**

 **Don't be by yourself.**

Her smile lasted about three seconds until she read Dean's text.

 **I'm in Medical Imaging. They're taking Renee to get her ultrasound done - where are you?**

She stood up and found a hospital directory - Medical Imaging was on the ground floor, not far from where she was. She sent a quick text to Dean, telling him she was on her way, and then sent one to Seth before she ran off to find her family.

 **Renee is getting an ultrasound done. I'm on my way to Dean now.**

 **Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed! Also big thanks to **Skovko** and **bierrahanda** for your awesome reviews - I love hearing from my readers and if anyone wants to post a review - good, bad, or otherwise - I welcome them! This is bit early, but it literally ran out of my brain and onto the keyboard, so I didn't think I should keep it to myself... Happy Reading! ~Draxca

Chapter 6

Seth watched Dean and Olivia drive away with the strangest smile on his face - like someone who expected their day to be a very ordinary day and then came across this perfectly amazing unicorn who was intelligent, kind, slightly uncoordinated, gorgeous…well, he had found something tonight that he had no reason to expect to find.

 _Amazing gorgeous unicorns…perfect…definitely time to go home…_

He gave the valet his ticket and when his Tiburon arrived, he drove to his parents place in West Chester Township. On the way home had a good think-through of the evening - he was happy he'd gotten to see Dean again after all these years, even if he hadn't actually spent much time talking to him. He thought that would probably change if he got to see Olivia again.

He was also pretty chuffed that he'd met Olivia. Period. She was relatively normal compared to his last girlfriend - at least in the sense that she didn't appear to be the type to get involved and then try to suck you dry of every last penny you'd ever earned. Zahra had been great at first - sexy, funny as hell, and had the same drive for the business that he'd had. She didn't mind when they had to be on road trips to the different gyms, she'd been a great ambassador for them, and she had a very sharp mind - she had done a diploma in accounting at the local college, and so to Seth she was the natural choice to manage the books.

All those would have been incredible assets to have in a business partner and girlfriend - if it weren't for the small matter of taking most of the money he'd been saving not only to open the new gym with help from investors, but also to continue paying staff, keeping the lights and heat on…winters in this part of the world were okay, but no one wants to pay to be at a gym that is exactly the same temperature as the outside.

Unbidden, that final scene with Zahra played itself out in his head.

 _He waited for her in his office - which was small in the Davenport gym, but it was far enough away from the one or two late-nighters that were currently working out that they wouldn't be heard. He had been sitting at his desk for an hour, looking at the results of the audit the accountant had attached to the email that had blown his whole comfortable, settled world away with five little words:_

 _ **Zahra has been siphoning funds.**_

 _He wanted to hear it from her. He wanted to hear her say it wasn't true. He needed to know he hadn't been played, and how now he was going to lose everything._

 _She walked in, smile a mile wide, "Hey babe! Got your text - what's up?"and tried to walk over to him, but was strategically blocked by boxes of promotional materials he had ordered when he thought he had the money to pay for them. She settled for air kisses in his general direction and sat down in the chair across from him._

 _He didn't trust himself to look at her directly, so he stayed behind the desk and kept his eyes fixed on a point over her shoulder, "Sit down please, Zahra."_

 _The tone in his voice was unmistakeable, and her smile disappeared instantly, replaced with a wary look, "Babe? Everything okay?" It was so natural, so innocent - a miniscule part of him started to hope against hope that the auditor had made a mistake._

 _He shuffled the papers in front of him, placing the short email from the auditor on top, "Got the investor's audit back from the accountant today." He looked up at her then, he had to look in her eyes and see the shock and incredulousness that would be there if she really was innocent._

 _Of course… he saw nothing like that in Zahra's eyes._

 _He saw a coldness there he had never seen before. His heart began to pulse heavily in his chest and he honestly thought he might have to be sick when the truth finally came home to rest. Her lips turned up a bit at the corners and at first he thought she was trying to hold back tears, but thenhe realized she was embarrassed, and had the audacity to smile at him when she realized she had been caught. Here he was on the verge of losing everything and she had the balls to smile at him while looking him right in the eyes._

 _"Do I need to read it? Or do you know what it says?" He continued to regard her evenly, he wouldn't dignify what she'd done to him - to them - with unleashing his rage at her._

 _She sniffed and looked away, "I guess I have an idea what it says… I - "_

 _"Get out." His voice icy cold, and had dropped to an almost inaudible level._

 _To her credit, she did try to include him in the reason, "I did it for us, babe! I wanted us to have some time together that didn't involve the business - that's all we ever talk about…I'm tired of doing this all the time - I wanted us to have our own little place down on the coast of Mexico…"_

 _It was Seth's turn to laugh, "Did you think about letting me in on those plans? Did you think I might like to know that the money we needed to pay the people who work at the gyms we currently own might be needed here? Jesus, Zahra - what the fuck is wrong with you?"_

 _Despite wanting to remain level-headed and take the emotional high road, he felt his volume rise as he leaned over the desk. "What kind of selfish bitch takes everything I've worked for years - YEARS - for and uses it on herself?" He hadn't wanted to lose his temper on her, but he was on his feet and yelling at the top of his lungs by the time he'd finished._

 _Zahra hadn't moved, and remained silent. Seth sat back down, pulled a drawer open and took out a piece of paper that he'd had to borrow money from his parents to pay for. He placed it in front of her and put a pen down beside it. She looked at it and looked back up at him, "What am I supposed to do with this?"_

 _Seth took a deep breath before continuing, "That is an agreement I've had a lawyer draw up. It says that in return for me not pressing charges against you for embezzlement, you relinquish any claim you ever had or ever will have to this company. You will have all your belongings removed from the apartment we share by the end of tomorrow, the locks will be changed. The leasing company has already picked up your car. You leave this relationship with nothing but what you came into it with. If you ever come near me or my family again, I will have you arrested. Sign it."_

 _She knew Seth well enough to know that this was it. There would be no negotiating her way back into his good graces. She picked the pen up, then put it down, then picked it up again and quickly signed her name to the bottom. Seth grabbed the paper and pen and scribbled his own signature beside hers._

 _"Get out."_

 _She pushed herself back from the desk, screeching the chair legs along the lino flooring. She opened the door and turned to look at him one last time, sneering, "Enjoy this dump while you can… what a pathetic little excuse for a gym - you won't have it for long…think about me in Mexico enjoying my new friends - rich friends, who know how to treat a girl by the way- let her have a little fun instead of working her until she can't stand the sight of you." He was silent, not deeming her fit to respond to._

 _"Where are you going to be tomorrow when I'm packing my stuff?"_

 _He was folding the contract and putting it into an envelope, and didn't look up to answer, "That's no longer your concern - get the fuck out of my gym."_

 _She whirled around and slammed the door behind her, leaving Seth toying with the sealed envelope in front of him. His brow was heavily furrowed, his jaw was tightly clenched, the muscle working overtime - he was staring a hole into the desk as his breathing slowly became louder and more intense, nostrils flaring. Without warning he leapt to his feet, arms planted underneath the desktop as he flipped the whole thing over with a massive primal yell._

 _Papers went flying, the desk - while not large - crashed into the side wall and rested there, leaning precariously. Bizarrely, a drawer had stayed behind, and Seth grabbed it and drop kicked it into the wall by the desk, breaking his big toe._

 _"FUCK!" he yelled, crumpling to the ground, holding his injured foot, trying but failing to hold back the tears._

 _He heard the staff running down the hall, and hurriedly wiped his eyes. "Seth? You okay? Zahra just stormed out of here yelling something about us not working here anymore…are you okay? What the hell is going on?" The two trainers on duty, Sami and Nia, were understandably upset, and banging on the office door._

 _Seth got up and hobbled over to the door, "You're both fine, your jobs are secure. Zahra no longer represents this company or its interests. If you see her in this gym again, call the police. If you'll excuse me, I need to see a doctor." He shouldered past them and limped out to his car._

Even though it had been almost a year, reliving that moment was like a punch to the stomach. You always heard about people seeing red when they were angry, but never actually understood what it felt like until that night. It wasn't even red, really - it was more like a wall of white noise, like TV static, thousands of black and white pixels in a steady stream across his field of vision. He shook his head to clear it, concentrating on remembering which exit was his parents'.

His folks had lived in the north part of West Chester for as long as he could remember - his dad had finished up his law career in the private sector, working for American Financial Group as General Counsel until he retired a few years ago. His mom had been a Special Education support teacher for the Cincinnati Public schools, and retired a few years after his dad. Seth couldn't imagine them ever living anywhere else - a two story brick house on a quarter-acre with a swimming pool that had made the Rollins' household the center for all afterschool activity and celebrations.

Earlier that day, When he had told his parents about what had happened with Zahra, they were understandably upset. Although they had never really warmed to Zahra, they respected Seth's choice and welcomed her into their home, treating her like a member of the family. Seth's dad had taken it marginally better than Seth had, retreating to his man cave and cranking the volume on his stereo until his tirade was drowned out by Creedence Clearwater Revival. His mom just sat on the couch, hand over her mouth - Seth was embarrassed that he was having to ask his parents to bail him out financially, and ashamed that his judgement of Zahra's character had been so out of line. He sat beside his mom, not sure what she was thinking.

"Mom? You okay?" When she didn't answer, his shoulders sank and he mirrored her pose, hands over his face, elbows resting on his knees. "I am so sorry, Mom…I know you're disappointed in me - I never thought in a million years that anything like this would happen…I can't believe I didn't see what she was capable of." His hands slid from his face to the back of his neck, and rested there as he stared in front of him. "I am never getting involved again…there's too much at stake…"

She turned to him then and put a hand out to turn his face to hers, "Seth, I won't lie and tell you I'm not disappointed by this news - you're smarter than that. Your father and I can help you out financially, but if it will help you save the company?…I don't know." Seth took her face from his hand and kissed it. He stood up and walked around the coffee table as she continued to speak, "Promise me something, sweetie…don't let this experience cut you off from the rest of the world. Learn from it-yes, but don't let her take away your future. You deserve happiness and I would hate to think that this would stop you from finding someone who loves you the way you deserve." She walked over to where he had stopped pacing and hugged him tightly. That was really when he had let the tears flow - they were sad, then angry, then hopeless.

Eventually he was done, he had no more tears left. He sold his condo in Davenport, and between his parents' assistance and his good standing with the bank, he was able to keep afloat while living in his childhood home and hotel rooms when he needed to visit the gyms every couple of weeks. He owed them everything, and was determined to never put them in that situation again.

The brick house on Lakota Springs Drive came into view and Seth pulled the car into the garage. He went into the house, dropped his keys in the bowl in the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Seth's parents had converted the two rooms off the front door into a kind of in-law suite for him. He stretched out on the couch and turned on the highlight reel. Inevitably, he started thinking about Olivia, and wondered how they had made out with Renee.

Seth pulled out his phone and toyed with the idea of texting her, then put his phone away. He picked it up again, scrolling through the contacts until he found her name, then put the phone down again. He picked up the remote and flipped through the channels, landing on the classic movies channel. He watched for another five minutes, his eyes flicking constantly back to his phone. Finally he grabbed the phone, sat up on the couch and quickly rattled off a text before he chickened out. Something uncomplicated, but nothing that could be construed as creepy.

 **Hey there…just checking to make sure you guys are okay - how's Renee doing?**

He immediately dropped the phone on the coffee table, not wanting to wait for a reply that probably wouldn't come. He went into his bedroom and stripped out of his suit jacket, draping it over the back of the chair that sat by his closet. The dress shirt went into the laundry, followed by his socks; the tie and suit pants joined the jacket on the back of the chair. He grabbed a t-shirt and sweats from a dresser drawer and pulled them on, feeling himself start to relax.

Until he walked back to the coffee table and saw his phone face light up.

 **Hey yourself!** He smiled at the echoes of their earlier conversation.

 **She's been admitted and they are doing some tests - she wasn't conscious when we came home. Dean knows a guy here who is looking after her. I think she'll be okay.**

Seth breathed in and out slowly - he hoped Olivia was right. Dean was a good guy, and even back in high school, once he had seen Renee, there was no one else for him. He wondered if Olivia was waiting in the hospital alone - Seth hoped Dean was with her, but even if he was, his attention would be on Renee.

Seth sent another short message, holding the phone this time to wait for her reply

 **Are you okay?**

He almost gave up on a reply, when finally the screen lit up again. Then again. Then again.

 **I just parked a car for the first time in over a year.**

 **My best friend and only family is in the hospital and I can't help her.**

 **I haven't been in a hospital since Mark died. If I actually stop thinking about Renee, I'm afraid of what might happen.**

He smiled at the first reply, but the darker tones of the next two texts had him sitting back on the couch, staring at the phone, trying to think of how to help her. He wanted to call and talk to her, but he couldn't. He didn't want to mess this up, he wasn't there to see things for himself, and the ability to edit his texts made him feel like that was a better way to go. He wanted her to be safe and she needed to be around other people. He kept it simple.

 **Find Dean.**

 **Don't be by yourself.**

And then he waited some more -maybe calling her would be better after all…he had her contact pulled up on his phone when her final reply came in.

 **Renee is getting an ultrasound done. I'm on my way to Dean now.**

 **Thank you.**

He exhaled heavily, realizing he wouldn't be hearing from Olivia again that night. He was vaguely reassured by the fact that at least she was with Dean. He finished off his beer, and turned off the television. He paced around the living room some more, running his hand roughly through his hair, before finally deciding to call it a night. If he stayed awake any longer he might just decide to drive down to the hospital to make sure in person Olivia was alright, and he didn't know if throwing himself headlong at Olivia was a good thing for either of them right now.

He got ready for bed, starting to feel the pull of sleep and thinking his decision to stay put was probably for the best after all. He set an alarm for 6:00am the next morning, pulled off his sweatpants and t-shirt, tossing them on top of the suit and tie on the chair, and slid underneath his duvet. He rearranged his pillows and leaned over to turn the bedside table lamp on - he needed to get some sleep and he wasn't going to be able to do that with the thought of Olivia in his head. He pulled a book he'd been reading about social marketing -guaranteed to put anyone to sleep at this hour - and flipped to his bookmark. He read a page or two before Olivia's face started coalescing on the page in front of him - her green eyes staring up at him as they danced - and he realized he had to resort to more strenuous measures. He pulled the duvet back, dressed in his sweats again, and put on his running shoes. He opened the front door and started running - just one fast all-or-nothing lap around the block to finally tire out the brain once and for all.

He came back home winded, drenched in sweat and head buzzing - mission accomplished. He could barely lift his feet to get in the front door, and his legs felt like a pair of lead weights. He took only the time needed to strip and kick off his shoes into the closet. He fell into his warm bed, feeling like he might even sink through it and felt his eyes close on their own. Despite his last ditch attempt to get Olivia out of his head for the night, the events of the evening still ran through his head as sleep claimed him. He fell asleep with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Holy Moly you guys, I am so sorry to have been so late in posting! Blame Thanksgiving and life in general! Thank you to Skovko for your review and to the guest who reviewed - this chapter will clear up exactly what is up with Renee...Seth is back in the next chapter, but this one was important to write, I think you'll agree...enjoy and please remember to follow, favourite, and review!**_

* * *

Twenty minutes after Dean and Olivia had separated in the lobby, Roman had texted Dean to let him know Renee was awake and asking for him. He willed the elevator to go faster, and narrowly missed running over a nurse who was waiting for the elevator when he got out. "Sorry!" he called behind him, his eyes never leaving his destination as he half-ran, half-walked the rest of the way down the hall to Renee's private room.

When he skidded up to the door, he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he saw Renee propped up and having small sips of water. Once Roman had Renee hooked into an saline drip to get some fluids back and prescribed a course of anti-emetics, she looked more like her usual self. She was still pale, and dressed in one of those shapeless hospital gowns that made her look like a patient, but when her eyes lit up at the sight of Dean, he knew things were going to be okay - they had to be. He closed the distance between them quickly, and tried not to crush Renee in his arms when he hugged her, "God, Ree….don't ever do that again…you scared the everlovin' crap out of me and Olivia both…"

Renee looked up at Dean, who positioned himself on the side of her bed, and stroked his face with one small pale hand, "That suits me just fine…it got boring after the fifth or sixth time on the porcelain bus anyways." She smiled when she felt the pressure of his cheek pressing into her hand, and his warmer hand covered hers, treasuring the touch.

Their hands dropped, but remained linked by her side, "Have they said anything to you about what's next?" Dean asked her.

Renee shook her head, "Not really, just that I was going to be here for a couple of days until I could actually eat without barfing it back up - did they say anything to you?" She took another sip of water and rested her head back against the pillow.

"Well I know they took a bunch of blood to run tests - the next thing Roman had mentioned to me was an ultrasound, soonish - he didn't say when exactly, but I'll stay up here with you until they say it's time," he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. "And I'm not going anywhere unless it's with you," he whispered.

A hospital porter knocked on the door, "Renee Ambrose? I'm here to wheel you down to Medical Imaging - are you okay to get into the chair, or do you need some help?"

Dean stood in front of his wife protectively and spoke gruffly, "I'll help her into the chair." He pulled the wheelchair from the porter's grasp and brought it over to Renee's bedside.

She moved slowly, but it was due more to tiredness than pain, "Are you okay to sit up for the ride down?" At his wife's nod, he gingerly slipped his arms underneath her and eased her into the chair, the IV stand rattling along beside them as he wheeled her after the porter into the elevator.

The technician met them at the doors to the ultrasound room, "Mrs. Ambrose? I'm Erica - I'm the ultrasound technician - we're going to do some intra-abdominal imaging on you tonight - it's not going to hurt, and hopefully you've haven't eaten or anything to drink in the last four to six hours?"

Renee rolled her eyes, "I wish - certainly nothing that's stayed down - I'm clean as a whistle."

Erica smiled a bit too brightly, "Then let's get you in and out!"

Dean wheeled Renee into the small room and helped her onto the imaging bed. Erica the Technician squeezed past Dean, who moved over to Renee's head where he was out of the way. Erica pulled a thin cotton blanket up and placed it just over Renee's underwear line under the hospital gown, and slid the hospital gown up so that her abdominal area was clear and her exam would be unimpeded. Erica looked at the two of them. In one hand she held a bottle of gel, in the other she held the ultrasound wand, "You folks ready to roll?"

Dean looked at Renee, who nodded, "Yeah, of course - let's do this." Renee realized she still hadn't seen Olivia , "Dean - what about Olivia? Does she know where we are? I don't want her to worry…"

Dean remembered Olivia was still out parking the car, "Just one sec - I have to let her cousin know where we are." He sent a quick text and hurried after Erica the technician.

 **I'm in Medical Imaging. They're taking Renee to get her ultrasound done - where are you?**

Erica squirted a quarter-size blob of ultrasound gel on Renee's abdomen who flinched and gasped at the sudden cold, "JeEEEZ…give a girl some warning, will ya?"

Erica apologized, "Sorry about that, it should warm up pretty quickly." She began to smooth the blob of gel around, "Okay, let's start at the top and see what's what…" The exam seemed to take forever, and although Renee winced a bit every now and again when the ultrasound wand pressed too firmly into her abdomen, she didn't speak, choosing instead to fix a start on either Dean or the ceiling. Dean watched the screen intently, trying to see if he could spot the problem, but admittedly he didn't have the same eyes or experience Erica the technician did, and she seemed to be frustrated with the lack of any visible problem so far. "The upper intestine and descending colon look fine to me - I've taken a few pictures just so that Dr. Reigns has a point of comparison if we need to do another scan later on." She screwed up her mouth in determination, "I'm going to take a look at the lower abdomen and hopefully we can find the culprit."

She blobbed more gel onto Renee and continued her search, but not for long…

A sudden intake of breath told Dean and Renee she had found something. A half dozen photos later, he couldn't wait anymore, "What?" he blurted out, sharing a worried look with Renee, and holding her cold, small hand in his. Erica the technician had a strange look on her face, like the cat that ate the canary. Dean understood she was happy to have found something, but he was tired and hungry, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Mrs. Ambrose, I'm pretty sure I've found the issue, but I need to speak with Dr. Reigns first. I think we're done here for now, I'll have the porter come and take you back to your room. You can wait here until he shows up." Dean knew that it wasn't Erica's place to say what she saw, but she didn't have to look so smug about it. Renee propped herself up on her elbows and rolled her eyes at Erica's retreating figure, "She really couldn't have told us what she saw? Wouldn't she be more qualified to say than Dr. Sexy?"

Dean snorted, "Well I'm not really an expert in medical imaging, so I couldn't possibly give an opinion, I - oof!" He was cut short by a surprisingly strong chop to the chest from Renee, and stepped back, laughing and rubbing the spot she'd slapped. "What…I'm not Dr. Sexy? I think you need to take another look…" He stepped closer to his wife and kissed her tenderly on the lips, closing his eyes tightly and wishing things were going to be okay.

"Seriously sweetie - man bun aside, that Dr. Reigns has got…it. He's a hot little tamale…" she giggled and Dean couldn't help a smile at seeing Renee able to have a laugh, even when she was just as frustrated as he was at the lack of forthcoming news from Erica the Technician.

"Oh my god, Renee - are you drunk? Roman? He's…he's okay, I guess...let's get you back in the chair and wheel you upstairs so Dr. Sexy can tell you everything's going to be fine." He helped her back into the chair and she lolled her head backwards, staring up at Dean's chin.

"I'm not drunk, but I am verrrrrry tirrrrrred…same effect…take me home, James! Yeehaw!"

When they all rolled out of Medical Imaging a few minutes later, Olivia was waiting outside by the doors to the clinic. She rushed over and fell to her knees beside Renee, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, Ree...what did they say-did they find anything?"

Renee leaned into Olivia's hug and returned it with as much strength as she could muster, feeling tired tears spring up. She let go of Olivia and wiped her eyes, "Not that she's telling us - I think she's gone to speak to Roman, and hopefully once they've had their little confab, we get to find out why I haven't been able to go more than an hour or two without taking a puke cruise…"

"Okay, you know too many euphemisms for vomiting…" Dean muttered, pointing the wheelchair in the direction of the elevator.

"I've had two days to come up with them…there's eighteen I haven't used yet," Renee retorted.

Olivia smiled, relieved to hear the familiar banter back and forth between Dean and Renee - infinitely preferable to seeing Renee unconscious in a hospital bed with Dean frantic. Her little world was coming back together, and she hoped that whatever the ultrasound technician had found would give Dean and Renee a happy ending.

They had just gotten back to Renee's room when Roman knocked and entered, "I hear you're feeling better?" he asked.

Dean helped Renee get back into her bed, and tucked her in. He stayed by her side, sitting on the bed and holding her hand, "Well the last forty-eight hours have been phenomenally bad, so yes - I am feeling better, but still not great. I'm completely exhausted and I wouldn't mind sleeping for the next year - but I have a feeling you've got some news for us, so I can probably stay away awake for that…" Renee replied. She wouldn't normally have been so blunt to someone she hardly knew, but the lack of sleep was really starting to erode her personal filter, and she was really pissed that Erica the Technician didn't give them any information downstairs.

Olivia cleared her throat meaningfully, and Dean gave his wife's hand a small warning squeeze, and Renee sat herself up to glare at Dr. Sexy. Roman pulled up a chair and sat closer to Dean and his wife. "I appreciate that you've all had a long couple of days, but I'm sure Dean, you can appreciate the need to have all the information possible before making a diagnosis. I'm just waiting on the lab to finish with Renee's bloodwork. They're a bit backed up, but I'm sure that I'll have the results back in a couple of hours."

Renee groaned and flopped back into her pillows. Roman smiled thinly, pushed his chair back from Renee's bedside, and stood up to go. Dean followed Roman to the door, and caught him by the arm before he left, "Hey Ro, you would tell me if there was something to be concerned with, right? I'm thinking you've got a pretty good idea of what's wrong with Renee - I need to know she's going to be okay."

Roman extricated himself from Dean's grip, 'Look, Dean - I want to be sure… _you_ want me to be sure. I don't want to get your hopes up on the basis of an ultrasound alone - I need the bloodwork to confirm."

Dean nodded and sighed, dropping his arm, "You're right, Rome…I'm sorry, I just - "

Roman looked over at Renee's bedside, where Olivia was trying to convince her to get some sleep. He pulled Dean into the hallway to speak more privately, "Dean, I think what would best for all of you right now is to try to get some rest - the couch in Renee's room pulls out into a cot, and there's another one in the family room down the hall. Get a couple of hours of shuteye, I'll come as soon as I have solid answers for you," he gripped Dean's shoulder, "I promise."

So Dean found himself sitting in a chair beside Renee's bed, holding her hand and stroking her hair back from her forehead, lulling her into sleep. Olivia had said goodnight an hour ago, and retired to Family Waiting Room #2, leaving Dean alone with his wife. He watched her breathing get slower and deeper, until finally he heard the steady rhythm of sleep. He leaned over and kissed her gently before laying his head down beside their joined hands.

He slept fitfully all night in that chair - at one point the floor nurses had taken pity on him and brought him a couple of really thin hospital pillows and a blanket that, although scratchy, was warm. He woke every couple of hours just to stare at his wife, to make sure that she was still there. She looked so peaceful , her face was no longer pinched or pale, and her brow was smooth - that alone made Dean feel like they had turned a corner.

He woke one last time just before sunrise and sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. He sat up and stretched, half-stifling a yawn then leaned down and kissed Renee's forehead, waking her up. Her eyes flickered open, then squinted against the sunrise just peeping over the horizon and in through her window. "Congratulations babe - you have gone a whole night without even a hiccough - what are you going to do now?"

Renee snorted and held a hand up against the sun now beaming in the window, "Is Disneyland an option?" Dean closed the blinds and came to sit beside her, "After we're out of this hospital, you name it - California, Florida, Bahamas…I'll even wear a Speedo, just for you…" He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

Renee laughed, "You're on, Ambrose." Dean looked at her face, eyes crinkled at the corners, teeth flashing with laughter - he realized that although Renee had only been the hospital overnight, it seemed like it had been much longer since he had heard her laugh.

She noticed him staring, "You okay? You look kinda - weird…"

Dean smiled, "I just…I love you, Renee." He leaned over to kiss her, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Roman poked his head in the room, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything - Got the lab results an hour ago and thought you'd want to hear the good news..."

Renee looked to Dean and then to Roman, "Good news? You know what's wrong with me?" She gripped Dean's hand tightly, and he covered hers with his other hand, their buoyant mood suddenly snuffed out with the potential of Renee's diagnosis.

"I do." He opened her file and took out the ultrasound photos, "These weren't quite enough for me to give a solid diagnosis, so I had to wait for the blood work. He fanned the ultrasound photos in front of Renee and Dean, "These are of your lower abdomen, Renee - your uterus, to be exact. This is a yolk sac," he pointed to a fuzzy circle inside a black space, "and this," he pointed to another nondescript shape, "is why you've been sick." He looked at the both of them as they slowly processed the clues he was feeding them, "Renee you have hyperemesis gravidarum - it's not common, but hopefully the symptoms should begin to taper in about two months. I'd like to keep you in the hospital for another week or so, get a handle on the nutrition and dehydration, then see how you do at home."

He left the ultrasound photos on Renee's bed, then went to the table by the door and started making notes on Renee's file, "You're about ten weeks along, I'd say...when was your last period?"

Renee's head was buzzing, the reality of her condition was sinking in, and she struggled to remember, "I really can't remember - I've never been terribly regular, missing one every now and then isn't uncommon for me…I never even thought twice about it."

Roman made some more notes in her file, and continued to explain, "Hyperemesis Gravidarum can be caused by a number of things - do you know if your mother experienced anything like this?" Renee shook her head, "It's hard to pin down a cause, but we can treat it here at the hospital first - get things under control, then I'll discharge you next week and try to manage it at home. The symptoms usually go away by the 20 week mark. I'll refer you to a OB/GYN if you don't already have a family doctor - there are some excellent ones in this hospital - do you guys have a family doctor?"

Dean looked up at Roman, then Renee, who was silently outlining the nondescript shape with a single finger, "Holy shit, Roman - are you telling me Renee's been puking her guts out for the last forty-eight hours because she's - "

"I'm pregnant…" Renee looked over at Dean with eyes that were brimming with tears, and a grin spread across her features, "Oh my god Dean - I'm pregnant…you're going to be a daddy…" her voice broke as she reached for his hand.

He felt tears spring up in his own eyes and raised a hand to his wife's cheek, pulling her face to his for a kiss. Renee enjoyed the feel of Dean's touch until a thought crashed though her initial giddiness at being a mom. She pulled away abruptly - eyes wide, hand covering her mouth, an expression of fear on her face-

"Oh god, Dean - how do we tell Olivia?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to all the reviews this week!** **Levesque-Rollins823 ,** **kmhappybunny240** , **calwitch, guest reviewer and** **SereneDream - thank you for your concern about Olivia and your amazing words of encouragement - I mostly write for my own enjoyment, but to know that others are enjoying it too is still pretty incredible to me! Come on along for another wild ride - don't forget to favourite, follow and review! - Draxca**

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Waking up to the smell of hospital was disorienting for Olivia. For a brief second she was back in her room at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and she swore she saw IV lines embedded in the back of her right hand that faded before her eyes until all that was left was the year-old scar from putting her fist through the glass cabinet in her room.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up - a huge wave of relief flooded through her when she realized she was not reliving her nightmares. She still wore the backless black dress from last night, and not a hospital gown, she ran a hand through the rat's nest that was her post-reunion bedhead and grimaced. Definitely needed a heavy-duty dose of TLC when she got home…which hopefully was soon. Olivia checked her phone and realized she had slept much longer than she thought she had.

In a vain attempt to stick to her morning Checklist, and ward off the impending anxiety attack, she grabbed her purse, and opened the door to Family Waiting Room #2 and tried to spot a bathroom she could attempt to freshen up in. "Excuse me? Nurse?" she hailed a passing woman in scrubs that she recognized from the duty desk last night.

"Hey, good morning - you're Mrs. Ambrose's cousin, right?" Olivia nodded, "Can I help you with something - are you okay?"

Olivia nodded again, "I really need a hairbrush and something to brush my teeth with - is there somewhere I can get some basics? Gift shop?" The nurse took a look at Olivia and pressed her lips together, trying to stifle a grin at Olivia's bedhead. Olivia found herself chuckling at the nurse's reaction, "It's the hair, I know - pretty bold this morning…you see my predicament. If I hit up a gift shop in the lobby, I will frighten small children and elderlies. I promise I don't have lice - any chance there's one I can borrow?"

The nurse thought a moment, "There's probably one in the staff room on this floor - give me a few minutes and I'll find one for you. If you want to wash up while you wait, there's a bathroom in your cousin's room - shower has shampoo and conditioner in it and clean towels."

Olivia sagged against the door in relief, "Thank you so much…you're a lifesaver." She wandered down the hallway to Renee's room and knocked quietly, hoping they weren't still sleeping. She heard murmurings on the other side of the door, and then the door opened to reveal Dean standing looking as rumpled as Olivia herself did.

"Wow."

"I know it looks like I hosted a midnight rave for headlice - I have a line on a hairbrush…what's the word from the doctor? Is Renee going to be okay?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, and tried unsuccessfully to spot Renee over Dean's shoulder.

Dean stepped aside and gestured for Olivia to come in. He had a look on his face that Olivia couldn't quite place, "She'll be fine - Roman came first thing this morning with the results from Renee's bloodwork. She's - "

"I've got meningitis, Olivia…don't come too close - it's the viral kind, so I'm keeping Dean at arm's length and I don't want you to get too close." Renee's voice was stronger than it had been yesterday, but there was still a slight tremor when she spoke.

Olivia froze in mid-step and looked to Dean, "Should either of us be in here then? Is it contagious?"

Dean's gaze went past Olivia to Renee, then he shook his head and went to the sink in the bathroom to wash his hands, "As long as you don't get in close contact with Renee - or me either, I guess - no hugging, kissing, sharing toothbrushes, that kind of thing. Wash your hands constantly. You might have already been exposed anyways, but best to take precautions. If you don't show symptoms in the next couple of days, you're probably out of the woods."

Olivia turned her gaze on Renee, "How long will you be in the hospital for?"

Renee licked her lips and reached for her water glass on the side table, "Roman wants to address the dehydration and nutritional deficit from all the puking. So I'm in here for about a week - I shouldn't be contagious after that point either, so I'll be okay to come home."

Olivia's eyes boggled at the length of time Renee was going to be in the hospital for, "A week? Oh my god - do you need anything from home? Do you want Dean to stay here while I go home and get a bag put together for you? Should I call the studio and let them know you're out sick for a bit?" She stopped when she saw Renee's eyes filling with tears, "Or you can call the studio - I don't have to do that - Renee are you okay?" She stopped herself from running over to her cousin's bedside, but was distraught at not being able to console her. She looked back at Dean, who stood stiffly by the bathroom door, arms folded tightly across his chest. "Jesus, Dean - are _you_ okay?"

"It's all good, Livs - Renee's still pretty exhausted from yesterday and neither of us had a great sleep - right, Ree?" Renee wiped at her eyes with a tissue and nodded.

"We're fine Olivia…um, I have already called the studio to tell them not to expect me for the next two weeks - um, because I thought I'd get totally rested up before I went back to work in, uh - two weeks…I probably will need a bag, though - Dean could go home and get something, but he wouldn't know what to bring - "

"Hey!" Dean looked wounded at Renee's lack of confidence in his packing abilities. Olivia managed a small smile, thankful that her family was slowly getting back to normal.

"Do I need to mention the bathroom bag incident of 2012?" Renee asked, looking directly at Dean, who squinted his eyes to recall, then shook his head.

"Probably better for Olivia to pack something for you - I don't want to leave you here alone, though Renee, and I'm not sure Olivia is quite up to driving on the highway just yet…"

"Seth!" Olivia said, rather more loudly than she had intended to. At Renee's inquiring look, she explained, "Seth and I were texting last night when I was parking the car - he could come and pick me up, then bring me back afterwards. Problem solved!"

"Had a good time last night, didn't you?" Renee grinned, a weird falter in her voice.

Olivia smiled, and looked up at the ceiling, "It was not horrible - Seth was really fun…we were supposed to meet up for a coffee before he left Cincinnati again - hopefully no one else comes down with meningitis before that." She lost the smile suddenly, "Oh god - you don't think he might be exposed? Should I text him and tell him there's a chance?"

Dean stepped into the conversation, "Olivia, probably the only way that Seth could be exposed is if you kissed him - did you kiss him?"

Olivia blushed madly, "We nev-absolutely co-I …no, we didn't," she answered, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with this shower stall - don't knock, use the bathroom down the hall if you have to go."

She tried to close the door before Renee got a chance to ask questions about last night, and was mostly successful, but Renee managed one very loud question before the door snapped shut, "You wanted to kiss him, though, right?"

Olivia rolled her eyes at her cousin, "That's not a conversation you and I are having without quite a lot of wine, Renee. Now if you'll excuse me…"

She closed the door, and once Dean heard the shower turn on, he walked over to Renee, "We can't keep lying to her, Ree -we're her family, we're supposed to be supportive - this isn't going to go away, and it's going to put more stress on you and the baby the longer we put it off. I think we should tell her today, deal with the fallout and then we can all start getting ready for the baby together."

Renee sighed and wiped her eyes again, "I don't know Dean - I need some time to process the whole pregnancy thing myself before I can think about how I'm going to tell Olivia…it's not going to be pretty, she's going to be so hurt…"

Dean sat down beside his wife and put his arms around her, pulling her in for a solid hug, "She will be, Renee, there's no way around that - I understand that you absolutely need some time yourself, but having a baby isn't a secret you can keep for long, and Olivia will be even less happy if she finds out from someone else before her cousin tells her."

Renee nodded from inside Dean's embrace, "I know, I just need a couple of weeks…" Her train of thought changed tracks and a sly smile came over her face, "So…Seth Rollins, eh? Texting our girl the same night she meets him? What's all that about?"

Dean looked down at Renee fondly, "Seth and Olivia seemed to hit it off right away - you know how sometimes you just click with someone from the start?"

Renee looked at Dean blankly, "No." At Dean's raised eyebrow and expectant look, she giggled and punched him lightly on the arm, "Go on…"

"Well Seth and I got talking and I was telling him about us and I guess Olivia was thinking about Mark and she bolted for the terrace. I was going to go get her and say our goodbyes and leave, but Seth asked if he could talk to her first. I told her about Mark - " he stopped when Renee shot him a look of disbelief, "What? I wasn't going to send him into that conversation without some idea of what he was dealing with." His voice dropped down in pitch, "I didn't mention Bean - I thought that was something that was Olivia's story to tell."

He waited for Renee to make herself comfortable in his arms before continuing, "They were probably out on the terrace for almost an hour. I was running into a bunch of people from the old group - Nikki, Brie, John, Daniel…it was a popular reunion to go to, apparently…anyways, the next thing I know, I'm seeing Olivia and Seth dancing to that old Shakira song - the slow one, super sexy…"

Renee slapped Dean on the arm, hard, "Get out of town! Seriously? Why didn't you call me?"

Dean grabbed for his phone, "I did one better than that - I forgot, but I was going to text this to you…" He found the photo he'd meant to send to Renee - the one of Olivia and Seth looking like they'd always been together, on the dance floor.

Renee's eyes filled up again, "Jesus, this whole hormone thing is going to get old real soon…" She reached for another tissue and dabbed at her eyes, "Oh my god they look so cute together…I knew making her go with you was a good idea!" She composed herself and looked up at Dean, "Go on, and then…?"

"Well, they danced a few more songs after that, and then I called you to tell you about it and got the news that I never want to hear again - god, you scared the crap outta me…"

"You and me both, sweetie," Renee looked at the photo again, "She actually looks really happy here, too bad they didn't have more time together." She looked up at Dean with a look that he had only seen during the Great Bathroom Bag Incident of 2012, "If he hurts her…he's a deadman walking."

Seth woke up to his alarm chirping at him, and groaned. Before his need for more sleep laid too strong of a claim, he threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, tied on his runners and hit the ground running. He snugged his phone into his armband and hit a playlist designed to keep his mind on his heartrate and off of Olivia. It was largely unsuccessful. He kept replaying last night in his head - Dean's revelation about her husband, how good it felt to be able to connect with another person, and the feel of her skin underneath the hand that had rested on the small of her back as they danced. He wanted to know how last night had gone for all of them, but had resolved to play it cool - or at least rational…he was definitely not going to be texting or calling before he'd had a chance to think about what he was actually going to say. He wanted to have a plan.

So he pushed thoughts of Olivia and last night to the back of his mind, and tried to focus on the tunes in his ears and the road under his feet. There weren't too many cars on the road on an early Sunday morning in this neighbourhood, so he could let himself sink into the music and let his mind relax a bit as he finished his run and made his way back up his parents' driveway and in the front door. He smelled breakfast - thirty or more years of early rising was a hard habit to break and more often than not, his mom still made sure "her boys" started off their day with a hot meal.

He made a quick check-in with her in the kitchen, where she was taking the hashbrowns out of the oven, "Good morning, honey," Elaine Rollins turned to greet her son, who kissed her on the cheek, careful to avoid the hot sheet of potatoes she was holding.

"Morning, Mom - i'm just going to shower…Dad up yet?" He stole a piping-hot chunk of potato off of the sheet and tossed it around to cool it off before popping it in his mouth.

She waved Seth away and put the sheet of hashbrowns on the counter, "He is out for his own run this morning, shouldn't be too long - I think having you home makes him think more about being more active in his retirement…how was last night? I heard you come In - did you manage to run into Dean again?" She smiled, Dean had not always been the most sensible of Seth's friends in high school, but he had been a good friend to Seth all during high school - he'd always been unfailingly polite, but not never smarmy or suspicious. Dean had been genuine, and she had been a little bit saddened when he and Seth had grown apart after high school. He certainly could have used a friend like that over the last year.

She noticed the grin that Seth tried and failed to stop on his lips, "Alright pal, spill it." She leaned against the counter, and folded her arms across her chest, clearly something had gone right last night - she hadn't seen a smile like that on her son's face in quite some time.

"Mom, I had a great time last night. I did run into Dean - who is now married to Renee Young," she nodded and smiled as she remembered the face to the name, "Renee couldn't come last night - she was pretty ill, so her cousin came to keep Dean company." He stole another piece of potato off of the sheet beside his mom , dodging a warning slap from her, "We had fun up until they had to go home to make sure Renee was alright. I think they had to take her to the hospital."

"Is she alright? I always liked Renee - she was such a good influence on Dean." Seth had carefully sandwiched the detail about Olivia between the two tidbits he knew hi s Mom would focus on - he still had to sort out the whole Olivia thing - if there even was an Olivia thing - before he gave out too many details.

He shrugged, "I'm not sure - I got a cel number last night, I'll try to find out." He turned and quickly left the kitchen before his mom could ask anything more and went back to his suite.

He put his phone on the bathroom counter and tried to ignore it while he stripped down for a shower.

He stepped out of the shower and tried to ignore it while he toweled off and got dressed.

He put his phone facedown beside his plate and tried to ignore it while he ate breakfast.

He put his phone on the kitchen counter and tried to ignore it while he helped clean up after breakfast.

He went back downstairs to his suite and finally allowed himself to go through some social media things for the gym on his platforms. He sat on his couch, turned on the TV and went through the Twitter feed, the Instagram feed, the Facebook newsfeed and the page for the gym itself, then his thumb hovered over the text icon. He opened the app and went back through the very short conversation he and Olivia had had last night.

He read the three confessions Olivia had sent him when he asked how she herself was doing:

 **I just parked a car for the first time in over a year.**

He smiled at that one - such a basic mundane thing, but the fact that she was putting herself back in a car and getting familiar again with these everyday things showed that she was definitely making her way back to the fringes of a normal life - whatever normal counted for these days, anyway.

 **My best friend and only family is in the hospital and I can't help her.**

This one killed him last night, and it still packed a punch this morning. He figured that Olivia was staying with Dean and Renee until she got her feet back under her. It never occurred to him that there wasn't anywhere else she could go.

 **I haven't been in a hospital since Mark died. If I actually stop thinking about Renee, I'm afraid of what might happen.**

This one set his heart thumping -he hadn't known what _"what might happen"_ meant and so had taken the coward's way out and directed her to go to Dean. He had been afraid to call her then, afraid of saying the wrong thing, making things worse…he needed to know she was safe. Plain and simple.

"C'mon, Rollins, grow a pair and call her already." he growled at himself, already thumbing his way to her contact info. Adrenaline was singing through his veins and he was in a pretty high state of alert, so when the phone began to vibrate in his hands, it was to his credit that Seth did not fling the phone across the room.

"Fuck me!" He yelled, dropping the phone on the floor, almost kicking under the couch in his panic to get it back. He saw the call display and immediately swiped to answer, "Olivia? Everything alright?" Seth tried to sound casual and hoped that the vibration in his voice was not too noticeable. He leaned backwards on the couch with one hand folding behind his head and crossing his legs.

Olivia sounded tired, "Hey, Seth. Um - good, things are good. Uh, they know what's wrong with Renee, so that's good news. The bad news is that she's got viral meningitis -we all might be carrying it, but the doctors here have said that as long as you're washing your hands every time you think of it, and try to avoid close quarters with people, you should be okay. "

Seth froze, "Jesus - so how will we know if we have it or not?" He thought about the kissing his mom on the cheek that morning, and hoped he hadn't passed anything along.

"The doctors said if you don't show symptoms in the next three or four days, I think, that you're in the clear. I wanted to make sure you knew - you mentioned staying with them for the next little while. I'm so sorry Seth, I didn't know - are you feeling okay this morning? Apparently it's not something you can treat, so if you're not feeling well, you should stay home."

Seth closed his eyes and took a breath, "Well I went for a run this morning and had breakfast with my parents, so everything is pretty normal so far - how are you feeling?"

Seth heard her sigh., "I want to go home," she admitted quietly, "If only to have a proper shower and change out of this ridiculous dress - I feel like I'm living through the world's longest Walk of Shame…" Seth had to chuckle at that, and she continued, "Listen, Seth - I know that we just met the other night, and I'm not exactly batting a thousand with you, having possibly exposed you to viral meningitis, but I am wondering if I can impose on you for one small favour…?" The last part of the sentence came out in a bit of a squeak.

To his credit, Seth didn't hesitate, "Whatever I can do, you just have to ask."

"I desperately need to go home and change, but I don't want to ask Dean to leave Renee, and there is no way I am up to the challenges that driving on the freeway presents…Seth, if I'm asking too much, just say so, but do you think you would be able to pick me up from the hospital, take me home and bring me back to the hospital later today?" He heard the desire to escape from the hospital, even for a few hours, and answered immediately.

"Which hospital are you at? Evendale?"

"Yes - there's a Walgreen's and a hockey rink and I think a strip mall nearby. Are you sure you want to come all this way and then back?"

"Olivia, it's a fifteen minute drive, tops - I'll be there soon, can you wait by the front entrance? I'll call to let you know when I'm close." He heard her breath a deep sigh of relief, "Everything will be okay, I promise - I'll call soon, alright?"

"Okay - thank you so much, you have no idea how much I need to get out of here. I'll be downstairs waiting. See you soon." She hung up and Seth grabbed his keys and wallet from the bowl in the kitchen and was out the door in minutes.

The slight screech of the Tiburon's tires were the only clue that Elaine Rollins had that her son had left the house. She looked out the big front window and saw the car tearing away. She smiled to herself, "The cousin must've made quite an impression…" she thought to herself as she watched the car grow smaller in the distance.


	9. Chapter 9

THANK YOU! To everyone who has taken the time to read and review, favourite and follow, and even contact me through PM: thank you. Although I am mostly writing to prove to myself that I can do this, hearing your reactions to Olivia, Seth, Dean and Renee gives me momentum to build on, and gets me back at the computer after a few days of, "Oh i'll do it tomorrow..." Special thanks to reviewers from Chapter 8: **Skovko** \- I think you've actually reviewed almost every chapter, and I am thankful that you've stayed with the story! **kmhappybunny240** and **Levesque-Rollins823** \- welcome back and thank you to you both for your reviews. I completely agree - I don't know what Dean and Renee are thinking keeping it from Olivia, but I think Renee is scared, and when people are scared they don't always make the best choices. This one might come back to bite them their collective butts...also a thank you to **GossipLetter** for the PM - a Deanee story is percolating slowly in the brain... :)

This chapter is purely Seth and Olivia - I hope you enjoy and i'll try not to take more than a week in between posts... as always, R&R/F&F! ~Draxca

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"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? You should try to get some rest-you look awful," Olivia smiled lamely as her attempted joke fell flat on the floor of Renee's room. She thought she'd be able to hold it together once she'd had a shower and a ride figured out. Unfortunately, it seemed that with a treatable diagnosis for Renee, and a lot of waiting around in a hospital looming, her memories of her own hospitalization were starting to surge forward. She needed out. Now.

Renee readjusted the pillows on her bed and sat up, patting her bedside for Olivia to sit, "Olivia, you don't need to hurry back- I mean, yes, I would love to have my own hairbrush, and soap, and oh god, I would kill for my Sephora stash…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the point she had been trying to make, "The point, my lovely Livs, is that I know now that we know I'm going to be okay - I know a hospital is the last place you should be."

Olivia tried to argue, but Renee held up a commanding finger, "I'm going to be fine. Once Dean sleeps for a week, maybe digs into a bag of Milk Duds…he's going to be fine too. You need to get out of here - take some time with Mr. Rollins and get your mind off the past and maybe have some fun. I remember Seth very well - he and Dean were as close as brothers back in high school - he's a good man, Olivia - and he fills out a pair of jeans very nicely, as I recall - don't look so shocked, I have eyes…"

Olivia tried to stop the blush that flooded her face, and hid her face in her hands, "Renee it's like having The Talk with your mom, seriously...I hardly know him... _you_ hardly know him really, anymore - how long has it been?...it's way too soon for me to-"

"To start enjoying life again? To possibly connect with another human being that obviously makes you smile, at the very least? I know he made you smile last night…" Olivia's head snapped up and Renee's grin got wider, "Dean showed me a picture he took of the two of you dancing …" At that, Olivia decided there was no time like the present, and got off the bed, stepping purposefully towards the door, "Don't tell me you weren't having a good time, Olivia...where are you going?"

Olivia turned midstride to face her well-meaning cousin, "Renee, let's not make a big deal about this, okay? One night, one dance...as far as I'm concerned, he's a nice guy who is doing a favour because of history he has with you and Dean - he's _nice_ , that's it…" her expression was fatalistic and resigned, but Renee had known Olivia for too long - she knew just below the "whatever" attitude, lay a thin trace of hope.

Renee sat back against her pillows, "Well I guess you know best, then...better get a move on, then - enjoy your completely uneventful afternoon with the _nice_ man, Olivia."

Olivia rolled her eyes and turned to go. " _You_ should be nicer to the person bringing you your Sephora...would be a shame if anything were to - _happen_ \- to it…" she called behind her.

Renee raised her hands in surrender, and blew Olivia a kiss, "Call me when you get home - I want to know you got in safe and sound…"

"I will...love you Ree," Olivia waved as she left Renee's room and went to the elevator.

Her steps sped up when the sliding automatic doors were in sight, but tried not to make it look like she was making a run for it. She felt the warm almost-summer breeze fit her face and her relief at being out of the hospital was palpable - the sight of the Cincinnati skyline in the distance giving irrefutable proof to her subconscious that she definitely wasn't in Seattle, reliving a nightmare.

Once she was out of the fluorescent lighting, the sanitized institutional waiting rooms, the jangling elevator music that was constantly playing at a volume low enough to worm its way into your subconscious…it was better. She closed her eyes and leaned up against the outside wall, trying to slow her breathing. Olivia couldn't imagine how she appeared to people coming and going past her: still in Renee's little black backless dress, stylishly accessorized with her running shoes and towel-dried hair. She found an empty bench far enough away from the smoking area that she could breathe, but close enough to the entrance that she would still be seen by Seth when he arrived.

Olivia sat staring at the entranceway to the hospital for a few minutes, until she realized she had zero idea of what car he drove. Once she'd been waiting ten minutes, she started a guessing game, trying to imagine what Seth would be picking her up in.

Possibly, since he owned not one but three separate gyms - he must be doing very well for himself, so something expensive and loaded with bells and whistles...the 1970's station wagon that pulled up was definitely not his.

She thought being an obviously fit and attractive male, he probably had something with a lot of horsepower under the hood...probably in red. With a huge stereo system. She really hoped that was way-off base as she heard rather than saw the car she'd just imagined go thumping past the entrance road.

The black Tiburon that pulled up was a toned-down version of what she had been expecting in her head. When Seth jumped out of the driver side, she had no control over the ridiculous megal-watt smile that lit up her face. She waved and stood up, making her way over to him, hoping she didn't look appear nearly as awkward as she felt. Seth smiled when he saw her and met her at the passenger side.

"Hey there." This was starting to become a habit.

She didn't even think about it, "Hey yourself."

Olivia chuckled at their now-familiar greeting, and Seth ran a hand nervously through his hair as he laughed along with her. He had been hoping that the connection they had last night was not just a one-shot deal, and seeing Olivia standing on the sidewalk in last night's dress and running shoes with her hair drying wildly...it definitely wasn't, at least not for him.

He didn't quite trust himself to look directly at her at such close proximity, so Seth glanced down at the sidewalk, and stared at Olivia's footwear. She saw that he was staring at her runners, and modeled them briefly for him, "Super stylish, right?"

"Those really make the, uh…outfit," he admitted, his voice a little on the shaky side. They looked up at each other at exactly the same moment, and Olivia found herself once again looking into what were probably the most lustrous pair of brown eyes she'd ever been on the receiving end of. She could not deny the effect they had on her, and completely laid waste to any claim she might have had that Seth was just 'nice'. This went far beyond that. _Goddamn Renee…_

Whatever potential their combined gaze could have had was lost as the sirens from an ambulance screaming to the emergency jerked them out of their mutual reverie. The moment was gone, replaced by an awkwardness that Olivia had to physically step back from, and leaned against the back panel of the car. Suddenly they were looking everywhere but at each other.

Seth moved towards the car, "So…how's Renee?" He opened the passenger side door for Olivia, and she stepped closer to him to get in.

"She's going to be attached to an IV for the next couple of days, but I think she's already sounding way better after a solid night of sleep. Dean says she's going to be okay." Again, the awkward smile and not knowing where to rest her eyes. _Shit…_

She sat in the car as quickly as she could, and there was a brief uncoordinated dance as Olivia tried to close the passenger door while at the same time Seth was still hanging on to it. After a slew of embarrassed apologies, Olivia closed the door, and tried not to hear Renee's voice nagging at her to relax and have some fun.

Seth got in the driver's side and started the car, "What's your address? I'll plug it into the GPS." Olivia had to think for a moment - for the most part, she never had to worry about how to get home because someone else was driving. She dug her wallet out of her purse and found her driver's license with the address change on the back, and showed it to Seth. "2..8..5…4…Erie Ave…how do you like it there?" They pulled away from the curb, and although Seth winced to hear himself starting with the small talk, he didn't know how else to get to know Olivia except to get her talking.

"Um - it's pretty great, actually," she enthused, "It's in a pretty nice neighborhood-the street can be a bit on the busy side, but we know our neighbours, and the sidewalks have these gorgeous old trees absolutely everywhere. In our condo in Seattle, you had very manicured shrubs and planned trees…" Olivia's voice trailed off suddenly, "Sorry...I don't want to bore you with stories of Seattle."

Seth glanced over at Olivia, who had her hands gripped together tightly in her lap as she now stared ahead stiffly. "Olivia, do remember what said to you last night? If you want to talk about your life in Seattle with Mark, then you go for it - I'm all ears, and not just because we still have, " he checked the ETA on the GPS, "fifteen minutes until we at your place. If you don't feel like talking, we don't have to."

In his peripheral view, he saw Olivia relax slightly and lean back into the seat. "I know, and I do remember what you said, It's just that it's been awhile since I've met someone that I didn't know before - before Mark. I haven't told these stories because Renee and Dean already know them. I just need to get used to telling them again."

 _I am more than willing to hear all your stories, Olivia_ , Seth thought to himself. "I've never been to Seattle, but I always imagined it being very hippy granola, live and let live kinda place-not so much?"

"Not so much," she confirmed. "I mean, to be fair, there are definitely areas that still have that vibe - but Mark wanted to be within walking distance of the concert hall-he was the composer-in-residence for the Seattle Symphony, so some nights he would be in rehearsals until late...he had just finished a choral and symphonic work that they were going to premiere right before he died…they postponed the premiere because they wanted me to be there, and I just couldn't...maybe they've done it since, I haven't heard."

Seth let her speak without interruption, true to his word-he let her take the lead and provided an ear to listen. "Anyways, the apartment we owned was lovely, but the building itself was maybe a bit more...sterile. It didn't have any character to it, and I'm a fourth-generation farmgirl, so I'd lived in the same old house my whole life...nothing but character. Going to university in the city was a bit of an adjustment, but I loved it once I got used to the pace. And then I met Mark, and I never wanted to leave the city again…"

Olivia knew it had been months since she'd spoken to anyone about her life in Seattle. She'd been seeing a therapist at Dean's clinic, but most of the discussions they had had were about helping her through the grief process. Remembering the mundane details about her life with Jack seemed somehow harder than those therapy sessions. She squeezed her eyes together and turned her head so Seth couldn't see the tears.

Seth couldn't see the tears themselves, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Olivia wiping them away, and heard the sniffling. He checked their ETA, still seven minutes until they were at Olivia's. He couldn't stop the car, and there was no safe place to pull over on the freeway - at the moment all he could do was continue to listen, and give Olivia a moment while she struggled with her memories.

When she faced the front again, her eyes were glassy and red, "I'm sorry to go to pieces on you…"She laughed harshly, "I'm sure that's how you wanted your morning to go, driving a total stranger around and watch her fall apart in the front seat beside you."

He wanted so badly to pull the car over. "Olivia, going to pieces when you're talking about your husband is something I would hope you do…" he saw her head jerk to face him, and hoped he could make his point without sounding like an ass, "You obviously loved Mark, and you had a happy life with him. When someone you love is ripped away from you like that, it leaves a mark…" He thought briefly about Zahra, then shoved her to the back of his head - not the time to be bringing his own experience into Olivia's grief.

She sat back in the passenger seat again, eyes straight ahead, but still wet. She had never had to speak to anyone outside of her family and therapist - in one way it was freeing, sharing this with someone who hadn't known her or Mark before the accident, but in so many other ways it was mildly terrifying.

Olivia loved Renee and Dean, but she always felt they saw her as a broken piece of pottery that needed repairing - that she needed fixing and once she was glued back together they way she used to be, everything would be okay. Her therapist sat and listened to her without judging her, and had been very helpful in getting her this far, and he was very highly recommended, but Olivia felt that sometimes he was just going through the motions. In the space of twenty-four hours, Seth -a total stranger- had let her speak when she wanted to, had accepted her as she was, and offered what any grieving person wanted the most - an ear to hear what she was saying. The more he listened, the more she found herself wanting to speak, needing to have everything out in the open between them.

"I haven't told you everything about the accident, Seth...Mark wasn't the only one I lost…" He glanced quickly over at her, "I…I was -" she took a big breath and blew it out quickly, "This is actually harder to say than I thought…"

Seth reached out and took her hand in his free one, surprising Olivia into silence, "Olivia, don't worry about it. You don't have to tell me everything right this minute - you don't have to tell me anything at all - but if you do, we've got plenty of time…right?"

Olivia was silent, staring at her hand in Seth's. She was tired after a difficult night sleeping on a pull-out couch in the hospital; she had gone through a gamut of emotions; she could hardly believe that she was in a car with a man she'd only met the night before. Away from the hospital, with her adrenaline reserves on fumes, she was completely wrung out physically and emotionally. The hand holding hers was comforting, but also again - mildly terrifying.

Here was the first person outside of her family to touch her - the first man since her husband had died to hold her hand and spark a glimmer of hope that maybe she didn't have to be fixed - that she was going to be able to come through this and someday be able to feel something other than the dull roar of anguish after having her heart broken into so many pieces that she knew she'd never find them all.

When he didn't get a reaction, Seth thought he'd finally crossed a line, and pulled his hand away from Olivia's. "I'm sorry, Olivia - I shouldn't have done that," he apologized gruffly. Olivia said nothing, unable to put into words what it actually meant to her that Seth would hold her hand in the first place. As Seth pulled into the driveway, they ended this leg of their journey as it began - awkwardly.

The house was beautiful - two stories, turn of the century styling, wraparound porch, detached garage, and what appeared to be a deep backyard. The lawn looked like it had been mown recently, and he could see an wicker set of upholstered chairs and a chaise lounge on the front porch.

They got out of the car silently and made their way to the front door, Olivia leading. She unlocked the door and let them in, "I won't be too long, Seth - make yourself at home - there's probably food in the fridge if you're hungry. I am going to have another shower and pack up Renee's bag. I'll be back down in a half hour, then we can get on our way." She ran upstairs, leaving Seth to take a self-guided tour of Dean and Renee's living room and kitchen.

He stood in the entryway for a moment after Olivia had disappeared upstairs, he saw a fireplace by the dining room and walk over to check out the photos on the mantel. They were what you would expect to find in someone's house: wedding photos, family photos with parents and Dean's brother, vacation shots...he almost went right past a photo of Renee and Olivia. It must have been just after high school Renee looked much like he remembered her - hair long, wavy, and sun bleached, sunglasses on and mouth wide open in mid-laugh that she seemed to be sharing with Olivia. He picked up the picture in its frame, and looked at the Olivia from fifteen years ago, laughing like a loon with Renee on a summer camping trip. He found himself smiling back at the photo as he replaced the frame on the mantle piece.

He had forgotten how much fun Renee had been to be around back then - that crazy streak had drawn Dean to her in the first place - she had always had the appearance of a girl who enjoyed every day given to her.

Seth moved on to the living room and surveyed the neighboring houses through the giant bay windows there. He decided to move on to the kitchen when his stomach reminded him that breakfast had been at least four hours ago. A brief survey of the fridge and cupboards turned up a stash of veggie burgers and enough greens to make a decent side salad.

He was midway through preparing the veggie burgers when Olivia came into the kitchen, having showered and traded in her black cocktail dress and heels for a pair of capris, T-shirt and hoodie, hair long and loose around her shoulders. She walked up to him and peered past him to the patties sizzling in the frying pan, "Hope vegetarian works for you - forgot to tell you we are a plant-based household." Her stomach rumbled once, "I also forgot how close we were to lunch - thank you for doing this."

Olivia realized how close she was standing to Seth, and stepped back as he took the frying pan over to the waiting buns and finished making lunch. "Absolutely no problem, I was up at six for a run and haven't eaten since - thanks for letting me barge into your kitchen," he smiled, handing her a plate, relieved that their awkwardness was gone for the moment.

Olivia took the plate and went to sit at the breakfast nook. "Did you get everything Renee wanted?" Seth asked.

Olivia chuckled, "I packed what she needs - packing what she wants would take more time than we have." She took another bite of the burger and groaned in appreciation, "I did eat breakfast this morning, why do I feel like I haven't eaten in days?"

Seth grinned, "Well, hospital food definitely leaves something to be desired - it's meant for sustenance, not savouring. Plus, you've had a pretty jam-packed twenty-four hours...you'd be surprised how little it takes to trigger stress eating."

Olivia regarded him over the top of her burger. "You sound like you speak from experience," she commented.

His grin dropped for just a moment before being replaced by something more cynical, "I wish I could say otherwise, but let's just say that I will be happy to see the end of 2017."

Olivia put down her food and looked at him, "Tell me."

Seth wiped his mouth and looked out the breakfast nook window into the yard, "There's not much to tell, when it comes right down to it." He didn't know why he couldn't look at Olivia at this moment, he thought he'd gotten past the embarrassment and shame of being duped by the one person who was supposed to stand by him and support him...but here he was, hedging his responses and avoiding eye contact. He wanted Olivia to see him in a different light than the one his story portrayed.

Nevertheless, she persisted. "It would be nice to hear someone else's sad story for a change, but a wise man once told me 'You don't have to tell me everything right this minute - you don't have to tell me anything at all - but if you do, we've got plenty of time…' She grinned cheekily at quoting Seth's words back to him, and got up to clear her plate. Olivia recognized that Seth also had issues to get past - she wanted to help him, but she wasn't going to push the issue.

Seth had been doing things on his own for the last ten months, focusing on rebuilding his business was his priority, not finding someone to trust with the responsibility of sharing the burden of his feelings. When he looked over at Olivia, he thought just maybe here was someone who he could not only share his experience with, but someone who would be able to understand his feelings of loss and regret. He got up, leaving his lunch unfinished on the table and walked over to Olivia.

"Hey Olivia, I'm sorry if I made it seem that I didn't want to share my shitty year with you - the fact is, I really haven't opened up to anyone since it happened, but maybe I need to." He folded his arms in front of him, and leaned against the counter, unsure of how to begin, "You know how I told you I was visiting my parents for the next two weeks?" Olivia nodded, her attention completely focused on Seth, "Well it's more like 'living with' my parents." He looked at her, watching for an expression of judgement. Finding none, he exhaled heavily and continued, "Ten months ago, my girlfriend - who was also my business partner and bookkeeper - embezzled close to a hundred thousand dollars that I had been putting aside to launch a new gym, as well as operating expenses for all four for the next year: rent, salaries, equipment ...It doesn't sound like much, but it was enough to make me sell my condo, borrow money from my parents, and then move in with my folks, just to be able to keep me afloat and make sure my employees weren't going to find themselves out of work because of my stupidity. It is definitely not one of the highlights of my life, and I still have a tough time reconciling the fact that someone I'd been with for three years could have made me come so close to losing everything." His heart rate ramped up just talking about it, he looked down at his chest, feeling his heart thud against his ribs. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, willing his pulse to slow. Even after almost a year, talking about it caused angry tears to spring up behind his eyes. He couldn't even turn to look at Olivia.

He opened his eyes when he felt a hand on one of his folded arms. He hesitated to look over at Olivia, afraid of the look of pity he'd see, and then he heard her speak.

"Seth, I am sorry that happened to you…" she wanted to say more, but everything that came to mind sounded too much like the well-meaning, but ultimately unhelpful, platitudes she'd heard from their friends and Mark's family. Without thinking, Olivia went in for a hug, her arms not quite reaching around Seth with his arms folded. She felt him tense at first, then relax as he unfolded his arms and she felt them wrap around her as well, holding her tightly against him.

They had held each other as they danced last night, but this was different, and both realized it. Olivia didn't quite come up to Seth's six feet and her head lay against his chest, hearing the rapid but rhythmic thumping under her cheek. Seth rested his chin against the top of Olivia's head, and stayed there, eyes closed, feeling drained.

After a moment, Olivia moved her head to look up at Seth, searching his face for some clue to what he was thinking. He looked down at her, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes. She bit her lip lightly, nervously, finding herself not wanting to pull away from his regard. She was only peripherally aware of his head moving closer to hers, and the touch of a hand caressing the side of her face…

"I LIKE BIG BUTTS AND I CANNOT LIE…"

Renee's ringtone jolted the both of them out of the moment that had been seconds away from happening. Startled and needing a moment to recover, Olivia stared at Seth for a second longer before fleeing the kitchen to take the call. Seth stood alone in the kitchen, his body vibrating with adrenaline, his mind trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, and how he could prevent it from happening again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10! Wow! When I had originally thought to start writing again, I thought ten chapters would be plenty...apparently I was wrong. Thank you again to everyone who has followed along - I really hope you are enjoying the ride! Thank you to **Skovko:** Seth and Olivia are just starting to open up to each other, but Olivia's not quite done with her story ;) , **kmhappybunny240:** the baby chapter is coming - it's gonna be a biggie... , and **KentuckyShieldFan** : Welcome! I think you are going to like this chapter :)!

For me, ten chapters is a big deal...so I thought I'd give you guys a little insight into my writing process: Months ago, I came across this quote from Anne Lamott about grief, and for some reason ( I had been thinking about starting a story with Seth already) this really spoke to me...I have minimal personal experience with grief, but enough to know that this rings true. I also found my title in this quote and it says a lot about the journey that both Seth and Olivia are taking.

Enjoy chapter 10 - don't forget to read & review, follow and favourite! ~Draxca

" _ **You will lose someone you can't live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news**_ _._ _ **They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through. It's like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly – that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp."**_

–Anne Lamott

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 _Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod..._

Her heart thumping heavily in her chest, Olivia quickly escaped the kitchen with Sir Mixalot yelling from her phone. She took refuge on a couch in the living room and checked the call, "Shitshitshit...oh hey Ree, how's everything going? Why are you calling? What's happened?" Still unsettled by almost-kiss with Seth, the words came tumbling out, and she physically had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop more rapid-fire questions from spilling.

"Slow down, Olivia - Jesus are _you_ okay? What's with the third degree?" Renee's voice had an undertone of concern.

"I'm fine - I just had to run downstairs to get the phone and I wasn't expecting you to call - was there something else you needed?" Olivia willed her heart rate to slow down and assumed a more natural tone of voice.

"I just wanted to see if you were still at the house, and if you were - could you pack a bag for Dean too? He's going to sleep in the pull-out couch here-he's called the clinic and arranged coverage for his patients for the next two weeks, so he'll probably be here until Roman lets me go home." Olivia could hear the wheels spinning in Renee's head, even fifteen minutes away and over the phone, "Are you _sure_ you're alright? Where's Seth - is he there, can I talk to him?"

Olivia heard the back door open and close, and walked around to the kitchen to see Seth sitting on the back steps. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Renee he's out in the car, we were just on our way out- I can go and get him if you want -"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, never mind Livs...hang on a sec…" Olivia heard a hand covering the phone microphone and the murmur of voices before Renee came back on, "Dean says don't worry about a toothbrush, but could you bring the book he's currently reading - it's on his bedside table...it's the last Game of Thrones.. A Something of Something...I can't remember the title." Another low murmur, "Dean says it's A Dance of Dragons - if you could find it, and maybe bring a couple of changes of clothes for him - shorts, shirts, socks and ginch- he'll be a happy hospital hostage until I get sprung from here next week...thank you Livs- I know the hospital is not a place you want stay, and if anyone else could do the running around…"

"Renee, honestly, after all that you and Dean have done for me over the last year, I will stay in that hospital for as long as I need to until you come home...you are my family, this is what families do for each other. I'll just run upstairs and grab Deans stuff, then we'll hit the road and should be back there by two, maybe two-thirty. Sound good?" Olivia had sunk into the breakfast nook and was holding her head in one hand, trying to sound upbeat for Renee. She knew Renee wasn't fooled, but wasn't going to get into it on the phone.

"Fine. I will see you this afternoon...how was the drive over with our Mr. Rollins? Was he...nice?" There really was no keeping things from Renee, after the last year they'd been through, she could read Olivia like a book.

Olivia felt a blush of tidal wave proportions sweep up her cheeks at the memory of the near-miss she and Seth had had only moments ago. "He is...very nice. We had a good talk on the way over - he's easy to talk to…" When there was no immediate response from Renee, Olivia sighed again. " What, Renee?" she sing-songed at her cousin.

"Nothing _, Olivi-yaaa_ ," Renee's mimicked response came back at her, "I look forward to hear all about your deep...conversations...when you get back here. Be safe, and don't do anything I wouldn't do...love you byeeeee." Renee hung up before Olivia could reply, and Olivia sat staring at the phone afterwards, not looking forward to the grilling she was going to get from Renee when she got back to her.

She remembered Seth out on the back patio and took a deep breath. She had no idea what to do about that situation..Olivia didn't know if she was ready to date again, but maybe she was ready to make a friend that she could talk to. Recounting his own past made Olivia think that they could learn a lot from each other, and help the other get past their demons.

She looked through the window to see Seth still on the steps, hands braced behind him, legs stretched out along the stairs. He looked back at her, and smiled, "Hey there, " Olivia nodded and joined him on the steps.

"Hey yourself - that was Renee - Dean's going to stay at the hospital until she comes home next week, so she was asking if I'd pack some of Dean's things and bring them as well. I'll be ten more minutes - is that okay?"

Seth stood up and dusted himself off, "Sure, I have a wide-open day - ten minutes is not throwing a wrench into my schedule…" He offered her a hand to help her off of the steps, "Need some help?"

Olivia shook her head, "Not really, but you've seen the downstairs part of the self-guided tour - I can show you around upstairs while I'm packing Dean's crap."

Olivia led Seth upstairs and into Dean and Renee's room, just remembering that the last time she'd been here was the night they'd found Renee passed out in the bathroom after having been sick for two days. She stopped short, feeling Seth stumble as he tried not to run into her.

"I am so sorry - this room is a disaster- no one's been in to tidy up since we took Renee to the hospital last night - it's pretty gross...I can show you the other rooms, you can hang out in Dean's office if you want." She turned around and continued her quick tour, "This is my room - less of a disaster than Dean and Renee's room, but not by much. Renee played hair, makeup, and wardrobe mistress for me yesterday - she was determined that Cinderella was going to make it to the ball…" she stepped inside and let Seth take a look.

He took a few steps inside and surveyed the room, he knew Olivia had been living with Dean and Renee for the better part of the last year, but couldn't help but notice that the room looked like a bed-and-breakfast guest was staying there. Aside from her clothes, there wasn't a single thing that said this was Olivia's room, as opposed to a room that Olivia was living in. He turned around to see her standing in the doorway, arms folded in front of her, as if she were waiting for his reaction. He took a few steps closer, not wanting to reenact the scene in the kitchen, and stopped a safe distance from Olivia, "Well I, for one, salute Renee for her efforts to get you to the dance. I'm glad you were there…"

Olivia ducked her head to hide the embarrassed grin that appeared, and dipped out of the doorway to show Seth the other room on the floor, "I'll be sure to pass along your appreciation to her...and over here we have the office of Dr. Dean Ambrose, PhD…"

Seth followed Olivia to where she stood at the threshold of Dean's office, and poked his head inside, "I have to admit - I would never have pictured Dean as a doctor...of any kind...where does he work?"

"He's The Chief Medical Officer for the Fernwood - it's a rehab Centre that deals with mental health issues primarily, but also addiction...that's actually why I wound up living out here in the first place." She took a few steps inside and went to open the curtains on the summer day outside.

Seth wanted to follow her inside, but made himself keep his distance, "Do you mind if I ask why?" Now it was his turn to fold his arms in front of him-the universal symbol of mild awkward discomfort in social situations.

Olivia turned around and sat in the chair by Dean's desk, "I spent the first two months after Mark and- uh...well I was pretty much on my own in Seattle, my parents and I have never been close - I didn't even send them an invitation to my wedding. Mark's parents never really took to me either - he came from money, and I definitely didn't. After the funeral, they pretty much left me on my own. I had a couple of friends who stopped by and tried to help me out, but it kind of dried up after the four week mark." Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, and she was staring at a flaw in the carpet as she told a bit more of her story.

"Dean and Renee flew out before I'd even come out of the hospital - they stayed with me for two weeks and got me settled in at home: helped me with the funeral arrangements, the will, getting grief counseling set up...but they couldn't stay forever, and I was putting up a good front while they were there-I guess I couldn't even face the reality of the situation myself. Once they left, I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed, much less the apartment. I didn't answer the door, I wasn't answering my phone or any emails...Renee flew out two months after I'd come home from the hospital and found me in bed - I hadn't showered in days, the fridge was empty, and I was barely responsive…" Olivia paused and looked at Seth, "I don't even really remember that, I just know what Renee told me…anyway, Renee called Dean and he booked me in for a six-week stay at his facility for grief therapy. I sold the apartment, and Renee and I flew back here to Cincy two weeks later."

A silence fell between them, and Olivia wondered if she had shared too much to someone she'd only just met. She couldn't help herself - once the words started, they wouldn't stop. The one thing she had left out - sweet little Bean - could wait for now. Or maybe it didn't matter - maybe this nice guy she'd just met who seemed almost as messed up as she was had heard enough and decided he was only giving her a ride back to the hospital and then running away as fast as his sporty little Tiburon could take him.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, her blood was roaring in her ears, she couldn't pull her hands apart for fear she couldn't control the tremor. She would not meet Seth's eyes, afraid of seeing the look of pity that would be there.

Seth waited until he was sure Olivia had finished speaking, then took a few steps to kneel by her side. He didn't touch her, didn't try to make eye contact, but he wanted Olivia to know he had heard her. This was why he couldn't let himself get carried away right now - Olivia needed someone to confide in, and maybe he did too - someone to talk to without any expectation of something physical. Inexplicably, he found himself wanting to be that person for Olivia . "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that," he murmured quietly. "If you want, I can probably pull some things together for Dean, give you a moment before we need to get going back?"

Olivia felt the anxiety over Seth's reaction fall away as he spoke. How in the blue hell had she lucked out finding someone who not only respected her grief, but also had experienced something similar in his own life, and could speak from a place of experience. Her eyes met his briefly, then slid away, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm actually okay - I did not expect to let all that come out, but...thank you for listening." She rose and helped Seth to his feet, "You are welcome to help me pack up Dean's stuff, or you can just chill in here - either way is fine, really."

He followed her out of Dean's office and back to Dean and Renee's room. He took a look at the mess in the bathroom: the toilet had remnants of Renee's last meal of crackers and Gatorade around the rim, there were towels strewn around the floor when Renee had managed to pull the towel rack off the wall. While Olivia collected clothes for Dean, Seth remounted the towel rack and picked the towels up off the floor. He carried them into the bedroom, "Dirty laundry hamper?" he asked.

Olivia stopped, "Seth what are you doing? Those are dirty towels!"

Seth looked at the towels, then back at Olivia, "I know. That's why I'm looking for a hamper."

"But, what are you doing? The bathroom is disgusting...I-"

"You are packing - and this bathroom needed some TLC, so I'm on it...you do what you're doing, and you can point me in the direction of a laundry room." He brandished the towels and Olivia pulled the hamper out of the closet.

"And cleaning products? Under the sink?"

Olivia nodded dumbly and stared at Seth as he went back into the bathroom and started rummaging around under the bathroom sink. Seth found the cleaning products he was looking for and was in the process of giving the bathroom a good once-over.

Fifteen minutes later, Seth had finished and was washing up when Olivia appeared in the doorway, "You really didn't have to do that." she commented wryly.

He smiled at her, "I know that."

"You know if this CrossFit empire thing doesn't work out, you could start a domestic duties business: chauffeur, cook and bathroom cleaner - you could make a killing.."

Seth dried his hands and grinned, "I'll be sure to send people to you for a referral." Olivia stepped away from the door and let Seth pass through into the bedroom. He saw the bag packed and waiting on the bed, "Are we good to go?"

She nodded and grabbed the suitcase from the bed, "I think we are."

The drive back to the hospital was considerably less awkward than the drive to Dean and Renee's. After sharing the bare-bones story of how she came to live with Dean and Renee, the ice was broken. Not that future tales of Seattle wouldn't come with an emotional underpinning, probably accompanied by tears, but Olivia knew that Seth was someone she could share these stories with.

Seth parked the car in the short-term lot and they each grabbed a bag. He looked at the bag in his hand, then the one in Olivia's and frowned, "Are you staying here again tonight? Because I only see two bags for three people."

Olivia looked at the rolling suitcase in her hand and sighed, "I want to be able to stay here for Renee...after all they've done for me, I owe it to them to be here when they need me. But…"

"But you don't know if you can handle staying in a hospital until Renee's discharged." Seth finished for her as they began the walk to the front entrance.

"Well there's that…" Olivia admitted, "But I'm sure there are other people who could use the waiting room I slept in last night."

They walked in through the front sliding door and stood waiting at the elevator, pausing to use the hand sanitizer in the lobby. Seth turned to face Olivia, "What if I drove you in for daily visits? You wouldn't have to sleep on a couch, and you could leave whenever it felt too overwhelming? Just call me when you're ready to go - until I know I'm not carrying the virus, I'm not going to be going in to check on the gym here. They can run without me there for a few days."

Olivia stood frozen as the elevator doors opened, and then closed again. She didn't know what to say in the face of Seth's offer. Seth pulled her gently to the side to let other people by intro the waiting elevators. "Look, Olivia - I'm sorry...forget I said anything. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable - I just…" he leaned back against the wall and pulled his hand down over his face, "It's been awhile since I've had anyone to talk to about...what happened, and I thought after the afternoon...you might need someone to talk to as well."

Seconds passed without a reply from Olivia, Seth was starting to think he'd crossed a line...

Finally, Olivia looked up at him through the fringe of her lashes, "I think I do...it's just - I haven't really had anyone to talk to aside from therapist and Dean and Renee. Then, in the space of a day, here comes you - this amazing guy who has all the right words, and who knows an inkling of what I've been through...of what I'm going through...it's _terrifying_...but at the same time I feel this, this relief at having someone to talk to. I don't want to risk losing that…" she laughed shakily, wiping with both hands at tears that were forming. "Does that make any sense?"

Seth looked at Olivia, who looked like she was fighting internally to get a handle on the turmoil she was feeling. He caught her eye, then pushed his luck a bit further and took her hand in his, "Of course it does - Olivia, I told you, you are the first person I've spoken to about what happened to me. You know more about me now than anyone else in my life except for my parents...and I don't want to lose that either… and we don't have to rush into anything. Right now, we're just two friends talking, and if that's all we're ever able to be...I can live with that." He let go of her hand, and waited for her response.

Olivia was thoughtful, Seth was willing to go forward in their - relationship? friendship? - in any way she was comfortable with. She looked at her hand in Seth's - she had been honest with him when she said that the potential of their friendship terrified her - and they way she felt looking at their joined hands was current proof of that. But the freedom she felt talking to him, almost made her feel it was worth the risk. He'd made it crystal clear that he valued their openness with one another and Olivia - having had a taste of it herself - wasn't willing to give it up either. "Okay...okay. Let me see how today goes - let me talk to Renee, check-in with her...then we'll take it from there?"

Seth smiled and went over to the elevator to push the call button, "Well alright then- let's go see how the day's gonna go."


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey Shieldarinos! Our boys are back! Tried to get this one finished in time for RAW, but again...life...whaddya gonna do?_

 _Thank you sincerely for the reviews, follows and favourites - some parts of this chapter were really hard to find a way through, but knowing that there actually people who like what you are writing makes me try harder to find a way to put the pieces in the right order. Thanks especially to: **Skovko:** Seth is indeed pretty far gone, I agree! **KentuckyShieldFan:** I do like to showcase the more tender side of Seth - glad you like it! **kmhappybunny240:** this story will be abit of a slow burn...but I think it will be worth the wait! **fedslunchbreak:** Welcome! Thank you for your review - Definitely things that need to be said between Seth and Olivia, and when Olivia finally find out about Renee, well...there will be words..._

 _I hope you all enjoy Chapter 11, and as always I hope you can find the time to Read & Review, Favourite and Follow - Enjoy! ~Draxca _

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Renee had had Dean adjust her hospital bed so that she could look out the window. Summer so far in Cincinnati had been glorious, and now she was stuck indoors...literally barefoot and pregnant.

 _Pregnant_ …

Unbidden, a smile grew on her lips as she smoothed her hospital gown over her belly - if she squinted, she could see a slight rise in her abdomen, but she wouldn't have guessed until Roman gave them the news early this morning. She smiled at the images that played through her mind's eye: of Dean holding a little girl in his arms, teaching a little guy to ride a bike, or taking their kids to a soccer game. Her hands traced circles over her belly as she let her imagination wander, until Dean came in with a smoothie from the cafeteria for her.

"Hey gorgeous...how're my girls?" Dean had become convinced that the baby was a girl, and nothing Renee had said could convince him otherwise. He sat on her bedside and kissed her tenderly.

"We want our smoothie...eating for two now...apparently," Renee reached for the plastic cup and took a deep sip, eyes closed in appreciation of the cool sweet taste of mango. "Oh my god that is heaven...thank you sweetie, hopefully baby likes it enough to leave it in my stomach."

She protested when Dean pulled his cup gently out of her grasp, "Well, that's why we only want little sips - that's enough for now. If you don't barf it up in an hour, you can have more…" he held up a hand to quell her protest, "that's on orders from Doctor Sexy himself-so don't be giving me grief about it." He put the rest in the small bar fridge by the door, not without taking his own sip or two first.

"Speaking of Roman, did you mention to him that we need to keep this from Olivia for the time being?" Renee asked quietly. The decision to keep her pregnancy from Olivia for now was not sitting well with her, but every scenario she played out in her head ended with Olivia running out of the hospital and hating Renee forever and ever. Roman had said that Renee needed to rest and not do things that were going to stress her out - she figured that having an emotional confrontation with her best friend in the world would qualify. They just needed to get Roman in the loop so that nothing was spilled inadvertently before Renee was ready. Once she was home and had herself under control, then she would sit Olivia down and tell her. But not now. Absolutely not now.

Dean was also hating keeping things from Olivia. He was a doctor - "first, do no harm" was more than just words to him - he dealt in patients' mental well-being everyday, and keeping secrets was definitely not conducive to a good mental outlook. He didn't want to pull Roman into this, but he had to think of Renee first - Renee and the baby - while she was still at risk, he would do anything to keep them safe.

He shook his head in answer to Renee's question, "I haven't yet, but I'll find time to give him some history before Olivia comes back...I don't want to ask him to lie for us, though Ree." His voice was low and gravelly, and he found he couldn't quite look his wife in the eyes.

Renee could sense his unease and reached a hand out to guide his face to hers. She kissed him gently, the familiar feeling his lips on hers was comforting to both of them and Dean exhaled quietly, feeling some of his tension wash away with the kiss.

"I don't want to ask Roman to lie for us either, sweetie. All I am asking is that he not mention the baby while Olivia is in earshot. I can't say for sure how she'll react, but I have to think she's going to be some kind of upset-and I need to be a little stronger before I can face that reaction." Renee pulled one of Dean's hands to rest on her belly, "Please sweetie...give me the week."

From day one, Dean had been crazy about Renee, and nothing had changed for him since high school. Even though he wasn't comfortable with the plan to keep Olivia in the dark, he was willing to go along with it for now. For Renee. He nodded his consent, timed perfectly with the arrival of Roman for afternoon rounds.

"Hey there guys, how're you doing this afternoon, Renee?"

Dean stepped away from the bedside so Roman could take some vitals and make notes on Renee's chart. Renee smiled, "Well I haven't barfed or even felt a tiny bit sick, so things are definitely better than yesterday already." Roman checked her pulse, then stuck a digital thermometer under Renee's tongue. "How are you doing, Dean? Feeling okay?"

Dean shrugged, still trying to shake off the last vestiges of awkwardness from his conversation with Renee. "Well you know, it's been a bit of a roller coaster - class reunion, trip to emergency, then impending fatherhood...i think having a crap sleep last night is actually helping me cope...if that makes any sense…"

Roman pulled the thermometer from Renee's mouth when it beeped and made a few more additions to Renee's chart before popping it into the holder on the inside wall of the room. He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Renee, "This is the name of a top-notch OB/GYN who is based in this hospital, Dr. Charlotte Flair has a lot of experience in higher-risk pregnancies…" he paused when he saw the color drain out of Renee's cheeks at the mention of 'high risk', "I know it sounds scary, but the reality is that HG - your condition - puts you in a higher risk category. Dr. Flair is an incredible doctor, I would say she's one of the few I know that actually have successfully treated moms with HG and they've carried the baby full-term. You are in good hands with her, absolutely."

Renee wiped at the few tears that appeared as Roman talked about Dr. Flair. The realness of her situation was coming home to roost - she was pregnant and was going to have to tread very carefully to get her condition under control to have a healthy pregnancy.

Dean stepped in, taking the opportunity to make good on his promise to Renee, "Uh, Roman, we need to talk to you about a...situation with Renee's cousin, Olivia."

Roman frowned, "What sort of situation?"

Dean took a deep breath, "Last July Olivia and her husband were in a car that was hit by a drunk driver." He walked to Renee's side and took her hand, more for his own support than hers, and went on, "Mark was killed in the accident, and Olivia was taken to the hospital - where she lost their baby." His voice broke a little as he remembered Olivia in a hospital bed,bruised and broken, tubes everywhere. She had lost so much blood at one point her blood pressure crashed and had required a blood transfusion. He shook his head slightly to clear the disturbing image from his head, "Olivia didn't recuperate well - after Mark, Renee is her next of kin, so when we got the call she'd been in an accident, we flew out and spent the next two weeks helping her with funeral details and I did what I could to get her a good grief counselor that was going to help her…" Dean had not realized how much he was still affected by the aftermath of the accident - a small part of him still harboured guilt over having left Olivia to cope with Mark's death on her own - but he continued. "We didn't know that Olivia was going to completely withdraw, or that her friends would abandon her and leave her to her own devices, or that Mark's parents would blame her for the accident and cut her off from them entirely-" Renee's hand on his chest prevented the lingering resentment towards Mark's parents from boiling over.

Renee continued, "When Olivia stopped returning my calls for a couple of days straight, I flew back to Seattle to make sure she was okay...which she definitely wasn't. She hadn't been to a single therapist appointment, she looked like she hadn't taken care of her basic needs in days...I had to use my emergency key to let myself and found her in bed, unshowered, unresponsive...I phoned Dean and we made arrangements to have Olivia transferred to his facility immediately." Renee closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I don't want her to know about the pregnancy yet - she has been through too much this year, and I'm not ready to tell her right now." She looked up at Roman and met his eye, "We told Olivia that I have viral meningitis, and that's why I've been sick."

Roman wasn't sure he'd heard Renee correctly. "You what?" He looked at Dean and Renee incredulously - Renee flinched from his increasingly intense gaze and Dean couldn't meet his look to begin with. "I hope you're not expecting me to go along with this charade…" Roman looked from Dean to Renee, and saw the guilt in their faces, "I can understand why you've done it - but damn, I can't think of a hundred other explanations for you to be in the hospital that don't involve me lying by omission to my patient's family…" He and Dean hadn't been super close during their internships, but he knew enough about the guy's character to know that he wouldn't be going along with this insanity if he didn't feel it served a greater good. He'd seen the relationship between Olivia and Dean and Olivia and Renee - he could understand Renee's desire to keep Olivia safe from harm, but it's not like she could hide this from Olivia forever.

He sighed in defeat, "Okay, I won't say anything about the pregnancy, but I am not going to lie to her about having...viral meningitis...jeez," Roman shook his head, "You couldn't have just said food poisoning or stomach flu?" He stood to go, "You've got Charlotte's card - she's expecting your call, so get that taken care of while you're here. I've given her your file, so she might drop by for a visit while you're actually in the hospital. I'll be around this evening for rounds - should I get the nurses to have janitorial clean up the Family Waiting Room or will Olivia be crashing there again this evening?"

Renee's answer was interrupted by the arrival of Olivia and Seth. Olivia knocked quietly on the doorframe and took a tentative step inside the room. Seth stayed in the hallway for now, not wanting to intrude. Olivia had the weird feeling that she was interrupting something, "Everything okay? I brought Seth up with me, but we can go grab a coffee if you're in the middle of something..." She stood awkwardly just inside the doorway. Subconsciously, Seth had moved from the hallway to take up a position immediately behind her for support.

Dean and Renee looked to Roman, who suddenly found himself in the position he didn't want to be in the first place. He decided to keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible, "Not interrupting anything at all, Olivia - I was just coming in on my rounds and wanted to let you guys know that the risk of infection from Renee is very small - almost impossible for her to have passed it along to anyone else, so that's good news." Dean and Renee visibly relaxed, and Dean shot Roman a silent look of thanks as he clapped him on the shoulder. Roman's look in return told Dean that he had definitely incurred a debt here, "Well, I think I'm good here for now - I'll be back for evening rounds. Enjoy your afternoon folks." Roman quickly excused himself, wanting to remove himself from potential questions for which he would have no answers...none that he could give, anyway.

Olivia and Seth also shared a look of relief, and both of them stepped into the room, brandishing the bags Olivia had been sent to get. "Seth Rollins...get over here and give me a hug - how've you been?" Renee held out her arms in greeting to her old friend. Seth's face broke into a huge grin as he deposited Dean's bag by the pullout couch. Suddenly he was back in high school, senior year, and he had never left - it felt good, like coming home. He crossed the floor to Renee and bent over her bedside to give her a solid hug.

"Hey Renee - good to see you again...man, you have not changed at all - can't say the same for your old man here," he looked over at Dean who stepped forward to shake Seth's hand in greeting, then pull him into a hug. Dean and Renee had been Seth's closest friends once upon a time. Life had led them in different directions, and even though they had wound up living 30 minutes away from each other, it had taken fifteen years for them to get back together again.

Olivia was unpacking some of the contents of Renee's suitcase into the bedside table across from the trio of schoolmates, and looked over her shoulder at Seth, Dean, and Renee engaged in animated conversations. Seth was in the middle of recounting one of Dean's wrestling matches when he caught her eye, and gave a quick wink before Dean or Renee could catch him.

 _Sweet Nancy..._ Olivia ducked her head to hide her answering grin and accompanying blush. The appeal of Seth as a confidante was undeniable - he was everything she could hope for: good listener, non-judgmental, didn't turn things around to be about him...but she also couldn't deny that once she got past the terrified part of her that went postal at the thought of a relationship, Seth was positively magnetic.

Renee looks over at Olivia and frowned, her brows knit together in concern, "You okay, hon? You look a little flushed."

"Oh really? Well...hmmm" Olivia suddenly found the zipper on the suitcase incredibly fascinating, and hoped her reddened cheeks would fade quickly. Dean and Seth were still catching up and missed the exchange between the cousins. Olivia chuckled, "It's a tiny bit hot in here for me - they always keep these places a few degrees warmer for the older folks. I'll be fine, Ree." She patted Renee's handed comfortingly, "Good to hear you're not contagious - maybe that means you'll be out sooner than you thought? How are you feeling today?" The words just kept coming out of her mouth and Olivia shut it before she sounded like a complete idiot. Fortunately Renee didn't push the issue, "I won't be out before Wednesday at the earliest, I don't think - I guess it will depend on how I'm feeling and what my blood work tells them. I haven't puked since Roman put me on the IV, but I can't have it on all the time…"

Olivia chuckled, "Well once the virus has run its course, you won't need it at all, right?"

Renee realized her slip and inwardly winced, "Well yeah, of course - it just feels weird to be hooked up constantly to something - feels like it's already been a week!" She realized that until she revealed her pregnancy to Olivia, she would have to be very cautious when speaking about what actually was the matter with her. Remembering that Roman had mentioned Dr. Flair would be stopping in to check on her patient, Renee realized she would have to get Olivia to go home and stay away from the hospital as much as possible. "Thank you so much for going all the way home and getting our stuff, Livs…" she bit her lip, hating having to hide the truth from Olivia. "You know I'm not going to be here for much longer, probably, right?" Olivia nodded, not sure where Renee was going with this, "And I know that being here all day is not good for you - I could tell you were a bit freaked out to wake up in a hospital this morning...don't lie to me Olivia, I can read you like a book...you know you don't have to stay here, right?"

Olivia's eyes widened, not expecting Renee to be the one to bring up the topic first, "Are you sure, Renee? I mean, Seth and I talked about coming in for daily visits...you could call beforehand if you needed anything." Her heart was going a million miles an hour in a combination of relief at not having to spend another night in the hospital and the prospect of regular time with Seth becoming a reality.

Renee was admittedly surprised at the easy sell, but inwardly she collapsed in relief. She would be able to get through her week in the hospital, regain her strength, and try to find the words that would break the news to Olivia as gently as she could. She reached up and pulled Olivia into a firm hug, holding on tightly. Olivia was caught a bit off guard, but returned Renee's hug with both arms, "Love you Livs," Renee's muffled voice was loud enough to draw the attention of Seth and Dean who wore looks of wary concern.

"You guys okay?" Dean asked, coming over to Renee and resting a hand on her back. Seth's eyes were on Olivia, when she met his look in return, she nodded and he relaxed a bit.

Olivia stepped away from Renee and around the hospital bed towards Seth, who came around the other side to meet her by the door, "Renee's going to be okay, and there's not much need for Dean and I both to be here - if you're still game, I'll take you up on the taxi service." She looked over to Renee for reassurance, "You will call if you need anything - _anything_ \- right?"

Renee held onto Dean's hand, looking at Seth and Olivia standing by the door together, and she blamed her hormones for the momentary flash of the two of them hosting barbecues in their backyard, pushing kidlets of their own on playground swings, and dropping them off at school. She panicked at the tears that sprung up out of nowhere and quickly blinked them away. She closed her eyes and nodded, "You know I will - I will call you tomorrow morning when you get back from your run. Go…go have some fun - Seth go take her for dinner somewhere - get her out of here…" she tried to shoo them out the door from her bed.

Seth looked at Olivia, "You good to go?"

Olivia looked from Renee to Dean to Seth, all three pairs of eyes on her with slightly different looks: Renee's concern, Dean's approval, and Seth's...there she found tenderness and warmth, and thought maybe she was going to make it through the next couple of days alright.

"Yeah," she replied with a contented smile, "Let's go."

Dean and Renee watched the pair leave and Dean tilted his head down to look at his wife, "Should I have given ol' Seth 'The Talk'?"

Renee looked about at Dean, slightly confused, "'The Talk'?"

Dean frowned, "Yeah, you know...the 'hurt her and I'll hunt you down and kill you' one."

Renee shook her head and hugged her husband close to her, "I don't think we're going to have to worry about those two - I've got a good feeling about them."

After a moment, Dean nodded and wrapped both arms around her, holding her tightly, resting his chin on her head after planting a gentle kiss on her crown.

"Me too, Ree...me too."


	12. Chapter 12

Holy crap you guys...three months is way too long to be gone. The old laptop finally died before Christmas and so I have been writing on my phone and trying to publish on FF using only your phone sucks...but anyhoo...for those that have stuck with it - a heartfelt thank you. For those finding _Come Through_ for the first time...welcome, I hope you enjoy! I can't promise that subsequent chapters will be much quicker, but I am more in the writing mode these days now that the chaos of December and January are over. For now, here's a nice big chapter for you...so glad to be back and as always ...read and review, follow and favorite! XO

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Chapter 12

Seth and Olivia had decided on the drive back to Dean and Renee's that dinner and a movie at Olivia's was about as much fun as they could handle after a rough day. Seth parked the Tiburon and as they got out of the car and approached the house, Olivia felt a deep sense of relief at being free of the hospital. She squashed a sense of guilt over not staying with Renee and reminded herself of a few things…

First of all...Renee was on the mend - Awesome!

Secondly, no one else had been infected -Excellent!, and…

Last but - holy shit, not the least - she was in her own home with this incredible person who had crossed her path at exactly the right time - holy shit indeed…

Olivia glanced up at Seth as she unlocked the front door and noticed his furrowed brow as he glanced at his phone, "Everything okay?" She opened the door and stepped through, locking it after Seth came into the house.

He looked at her and scratched at his beard idly, "Yeah...I just noticed that my mom's been trying to call - I kind of bolted out of the house this morning when you phoned - I just need a minute to touch base?"

Olivia smiled, "That's adorable - do you need some privacy? You could call from Dean's office upstairs - I'm just going to my room to put my cooking clothes on." She was notorious in the Ambrose household for not leaving a meal prep without wearing a good deal of it - Renee had gotten her an apron with 'Sexy Women have Messy Kitchens' emblazoned across the front of it after Olivia had been in charge of the mashed potatoes and gravy for Christmas last year...Dean claimed he found a piece of dessicated potato on the underside of the napkin holder three months ago - it had been an epic dinner…

Seth grinned, "You have cooking clothes? I didn't realize that was a thing…" They continued up the stairs and Olivia chuckled and ducked her head, "Well, it's mostly one of Dean's old t-shirts and a pair of sweats-my apron is downstairs…"

"Apron? Sounds serious - should I lend a hand? Fair warning, though - I don't have any cooking clothes," he teased as he went into Dean's office.

Olivia stepped into her room, and closed her door behind her, leaving a crack so she could still hear Seth. "I think you're probably pretty safe - Renee says she has never seen anyone make as much of a mess as me in the kitchen - do you cook much?" she yelled from her room.

She didn't hear a reply from Seth-after she had changed, she walked over to the door of Dean's office and realized Seth was still

on the phone with his mom.

"No, it's all good Mom - I'm at Dean's now, no they're fine - I got invited to dinner, so don't worry about setting a place for me…"

Not wanting to intrude or eavesdrop, Olivia went downstairs to get dinner started. She had decided on something simple- vegan Philly cheesesteaks with portobello mushrooms and a kale Caesar. She was slicing the mushrooms when Seth came down and peered over her shoulder, "Alright boss, put me in - what needs doing?"

Olivia pointed to the pantry, "Buns, onions and veggie broth are all in there, knives-" she nodded at the knife block, "- and cutting boards are right in front of you can get the onions sliced up, I'll have the mushrooms done and we can get these bad boys going!"

The pre and cooking took no time at all and soon the kitchen was full of delectable aromas as Olivia plated dinner and took the apron off before joining Seth at the table. The sun was just starting to set, sending long shadows across the back lawn and setting off a gorgeous palette of reds and oranges off in the distance.

Seth took another mouthful of his sandwich and closed his eyes in pleasure, uttering a little moan, "Oh my god...I can't believe there's no meat in this." He opened his eyes to Olivia chewing silently with a smirk on her face. "What? You may be one hell of a messy cook-" he reached out and gently wiped a smudge of Caesar dressing from the side of her face with his thumb, " - but you make a wicked dinner."

Olivia dropped her eyes and chuckled, fully aware that her cheeks were burning and feeling the touch of Seth's thumb long after it had left her face. "Well, I suppose I have my moments...thank you," she said quietly.

They sat and finished their dinner in a comfortable silence for a few

more minutes before Seth stood and cleared the dishes to the kitchen. Olivia followed him and shook her head at the sight of Seth loading the dishwasher, "You're doing it again, Seth," she chided gently.

Seth looked over at Olivia, leaning against the doorway with the late sun illuminating her in orange and yellow. He stood with his hands on his hips, "Doing what?"

"That nice domestic thing...just dump all the dishes in the sink and let's go find a movie on Netflix," she prompted.

Seth huffed, "What kind of guest do you think I am?"

Olivia smiled and took three slow steps closer, her hips subconsciously swaying as she approached him, "You are _mine_ , Seth Rollins -" she stopped abruptly and froze as she realized that what she had just said was not what she had intended. Eyes wide, she began to backpedal, heart racing, "I mean...you are my guest, of course...and no guest in this house does dishes. So leave those there -" Flustered, she slapped the cutlery out of his hand and as it clattered in the sink she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen.

As he was unceremoniously dragged into the living room, Seth tried to shake the feeling Olivia's words had on him. "You're mine Seth Rollins" had caused his heart to drop into his stomach, and he was sure that the blood from his face had taken the expressway to his groin. 'Get a grip, Rollins - absolutely not the time..' He managed to keep himself in check before Olivia let go of his hand and hurled him onto the couch.

"Rom-com? Drama? Documentary?" She had turned on Netflix and was desperately flicking through channels, trying to get rid of the images that had started flashing through her head on the rushed march into the living room. What on earth had possessed her to say that? 'You are mine, Seth Rollins' had triggered an unending loop of erotic situations featuring Seth and herself. She couldn't even make eye contact with him right now - she really liked him, but right now she was in deeper need of the shoulder and listening ear he gave her. Anything physical would be miles down the road...not if you keep swaying those hips at the poor man...get a grip!

Olivia took a slow deep breath, closing her eyes and selected a movie at random. She gave herself some distance from Seth, deliberately choosing to sit in the armchair next to the couch rather than beside Seth on the couch itself.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her, but she doggedly refused to look at him directly. When he finally cleared his throat to get her attention, she had little choice. "Uh, Olivia? I am totally not judging, but...Twilight, really?"

Olivia's eyes flicked to the TV and saw the lush forest of Forks appear on screen, and heard the deadpan monotone of Bella Swan and grabbed for the remote, stopping the movie. Now she was not only rattled, she was more than a little embarrassed. She couldn't admit to not being able to pay attention to the movie she'd "picked" without telling Seth why. She was just glad he'd called her on it as quickly as he did, instead of...hang on a minute…

"Wow, I'm impressed Seth...not many people can pick that movie out in under a minute...Team Jacob, are we?" Olivia might not be able to tell Seth how she was feeling, but she could misdirect like a champ.

Seth, to his credit, didn't go on the defensive, "What? The fight scene at the end of the last movie kicks ass...I was curious how the whole phenomenon started out…" At Olivia's raised eyebrow he smiled and fiddled with the couch cushion in front of him, " And I'm Team Tyler…"

And just like that, Olivia was able to shake off her anxiety and let the tension drain away and be comfortable around Seth once more. How was he able to do that? The grin on her face came as an automatic response to his own, "Wow - you are so far down the rabbit hole…you are so Twihard..."

Seth laughed as he reached for the remote, clearing his throat, "I've been called worse...why don't we go with something less polarizing…" He stopped on the original 1968 Planet of the Apes and watched Olivia for a reaction. His face fell slightly when she stood up and started the walk to the kitchen.

"Let it roll, Rollins, if we're going old school, we're going to need some popcorn," Olivia called behind her.

Seth shook his head and chuckled to himself, not quite able to believe the chain of events that had turned his life upside down in the last 48 hours, but ready to see where they were going next.

As it turned out, Olivia was a Planet of the Apes fan and had some very strongly-held views on why the original series was still the best. Most of the movie was left unwatched as the two debated the strengths and weaknesses of the most recent movie series. "The issue with modern sci-fi movies is that for the most part, they rely on CGI to carry the story and that's where the bulk of the budget goes, instead of to practical effects and better writers," Olivia argued.

Seth raised an eyebrow and huffed in disbelief, "Are you saying that all the research Andy Serkis put into creating the movements and behaviors of a chimpanzee is irrelevant because he's rendered in CG? The acting in the latest movie is far superior to the campiness of the original."

Olivia had moved over to the couch next to Seth when she had brought the popcorn in from the kitchen, and the two of them had taken turns with the remote control, pausing and rewinding, pointing and arguing and laughing.

They had gone through each movie in the current franchise in turn, until halfway through the second sequel when Olivia was completely failed to stifle a yawn. She grabbed her phone from the coffee table and checked the time, "Oh my god, Seth...is that really the time?" It was after midnight, but it seemed like only a matter of a few hours had passed since dinner...not seven.

Seth quickly checked his own phone, eyes wide, "Wow...that...that went by really fast…" he stood up and looked at Olivia, meeting her green eyes with his own, "I guess we were having fun…" He looked out at the illuminated street outside, "I'd better get going, though - the morning run is bad enough without being sleep-deprived...are you going to be okay?" He offered a hand to Olivia to help her up off the couch.

She took his hand and tried to ignore Seth's eyes resting on the silvery spiderweb of scars on her right arm, focusing instead on the electric tingle his touch created, "Here? This is my home, of course I'll be okay…" she removed her hand from his and walked slowly towards the front door, reluctant to end their evening.

Seth didn't follow her, "I mean, are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

The question stopped Olivia as she reached the front door. She felt a chill erase all traces of the tingle from Seth's touch. She had not actually come face to face with the reality of Renee and Dean's extended hospital stay. Olivia hadn't been on her own for almost a year- could she handle a night alone with only her thoughts for company? Her demons had been at bay for months, the nightmares hadn't resurfaced for almost as long...maybe it was time to see how far she'd come.

"Olivia?" She heard Seth's voice, tinged with worry, come through her reverie. She felt rather than saw his hand touch her arm, banishing the chill once more with his warmth. The eyes she looked up at were wide and questioning, and Olivia couldn't help but smile thinly to allay the concern that was there as well.

"I'll be fine Seth, really - it's one night, I can survive on my own for one night. Besides, I'll be sleeping - how bad could that be?" She tried to sound upbeat, but inwardly she began to feel a finger of dread worm it's way to her heart.

Seth didn't seem to be completely sold, but he nodded his head, "Okay, but you promise me that if you need anything, you let me know. I don't care what time it is - you call me, alright?"

Olivia looked at Seth, his brow furrowed, the look of worry not totally erased from his expression. She patted his hand on her arm, "I appreciate the gesture, if I need to, I will definitely call...but I'm sure I'll be fine." She opened the front door and felt the cool summer evening air swirl around the two of them.

Seth's scratched at his beard as nodded again, "I'll shoot you a text when I get home...are you still wanting to go to the hospital for a visit tomorrow?"

They walked together to the end of the veranda, "Why don't you come out here for your run? I'm usually out and running by 6, you could use the shower in Renee and Deans room, then we can hit the hospital after breakfast?" The words were out before she could stop them - the Olivia of two days ago needed the time alone that running provided to process. Would she still need that time? In a ridiculously short period of time, Seth had become a fixture in her day - someone who let her process and think without fear of judgment. Surely that was more desirable than keeping everything inside her own head, or only sharing with a therapist?

Seth watched her for a moment, searching for something in her eyes before he answered with a nod, "I'll be here at six, ready to go - let me know if you change your mind, if you're not up to it...if you decide this was actually a bad idea…"

"No." Olivia answered without thinking, smiling at the ridiculous grin that bloomed on Seth's face. He looked absurdly pleased with himself as he ducked his head and stepped off the veranda towards his car.

Olivia watched him from the top step as he made his way to the Tiburon. Seth had his hand on the car door handle when he turned, "You will call if you need to...right?"

Olivia nodded, "I will...I promise. And you're going to text me when you get home, right?"

"The minute I walk in the door," he vowed.

A silence fell between them, neither wanting to be the first to say goodnight. Finally, Olivia relented, "Well, if you're going to be in any kind of shape to keep up in the morning, I'd better let you go…" she admitted reluctantly.

Seth snorted at Olivia's subtle jab, but nodded, "Alright...I'll see you tomorrow then- thanks for dinner, Olivia - next time it's on me, okay?"

Olivia smiled, "It's a date."

"Good night."

"Drive safe."

Olivia watched him back the car out of the driveway and didn't head inside until Seth was out of sight. Sighing, she made her way back inside the house. She made sure the dishwasher was turned on, lights were turned off, then climbed the stairs, dropping her head back onto her shoulders, "Six o'clock is gonna come way, waaaaaay too soon…but that was so worth it."

She was brushing her teeth before bed when her phone buzzed.

 **Soooo…how** **was dinner with the nice man? Go somewhere fancy? How were the bathrooms?**

Olivia almost choked on the toothpaste when she read Renee's text. "She must be going absolutely stir crazy...she's going to be disappointed when I tell her we stayed home."

 **Dinner was great! Bathrooms were spotless after Seth cleaned them...we stayed home and had a lovely mushroom dip- I cooked…**

She imagined Renee rolling her eyes and sighing as loudly as she could without waking Dean, who was definitely sleeping at this hour. She watched as the three grey dots popped up on the text screen, then disappeared, then popped up again. Finally, Renee's reply appeared.

 **That is seriously the lamest first date I have ever heard...YOU MADE HIM CLEAN THE BATHROOM? What does he have - some kind of cleanliness thing going on? What is wrong with you? A man that hot comes over for dinner and you make him clean the bathroom...I have failed you Anakin...how's the kitchen looking?**

Olivia giggled as she responded,

 **I had nothing to do with it - he cleaned your master bathroom when I was packing Dean's hospital bag - he was pretty determined to set it to rights...and the kitchen is fine, thank you very much for your vote of culinary confidence, Obi-Wan...the dips were to die for…**

Once the banter was out of the way, the real questions come fast and furious…

 **Soooooooooo….What did you guys talk about? Did you...DO…anything? Is he still there? ARE YOU HAVING A SLEEPOVER? OMG, am I interrupting a sleepover? Do NOT text me back if he's there…**

This time it was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes. Renee must be more stir-crazy than she thought for her to be so worked up at this time of night.

 **Hold crap, Ree...cool your jets…**

She prepared herself for the onslaughts she typed her reply.

 **We talked about the Planet of the Apes franchise while watching the old and new versions on Netflix. He left about ten minutes ago, no sleepover...jesus Ree I just met him the other night, of course there's no sleepover...we had a great time. He's coming over tomorrow morning and we're going to go for a run before we come out to the hospital to visit...then it's entirely possible we'll have dinner again. I have to get going and get some sleep - I won't be able to keep up if I don't...and you should be sleeping!**

The grey dots appeared…then disappeared...then appeared and disappeared again before Renee's response showed up.

 **Sorry for going over the top...getting a bit stir crazy here- thank God Dean is here...I'm really happy that Seth is helping you out - he was an amazing friend to me and Dean in high school - one of the best. It's good to know he's still a great guy. If there's nothing going on or not - absolutely not my business, as long as you're happy and safe...that's the most important thing.**

Olivia felt tears spring to her eyes and quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her shirt. Her phone buzzed a reply.

 **Sorry for making you cry, Livs...still love me?**

 _Renee the psychic strikes again..._ Olivia chuckled as she wandered back to her bed and sat down.

 **Always...don't worry about me, Renee. You and Dean have done everything you possibly could have to get me moving towards the light, now I need to start taking my own steps, but I know you always have my back. Love you both bunches-see you tomorrow. xoxo**

Olivia plugged in her phone and placed it on her bedside table. It buzzed one more time as she reached over to turn off the light. Blindly, she snatched it off of the table, typed out a firm response, mouthing the words as she went.

 **GO TO SLEEP!**

She turned off the light and dropped the phone on the bare tabletop before rolling over and burrowing into the warmth of her blankets. Her mind started to relax and drift almost immediately...until the clattery buzz behind her brought her immediately back to consciousness. She sighed heavily and reached for her phone. When she saw who the text was from, she sat bolt upright in bed.

 **Um okay...just wanted to let you know I was home safe…**

Oh whoops...she looked at Seth's previous text and sure enough, there was his dutiful **Just got in, safe and sound...see you in the morning…**

Olivia flopped back in bed, covering her eyes with her forearms. She lowered the hand that held her phone and quickly typed out her apology and reassurance.

 **OMG - I am so sorry! thought you were Renee, who is already experiencing insomnia and cabin fever at the hospital. She wasn't going to tell Seth the content of the texts but felt he was owed a bit more than a basic apology. She's bored and Dean is sound asleep, so I was the recipient of several late night texts...I thought yours was one more version of "would you rather eat pickled beets for the rest of your life or live in a house made of cheese?" I am so sorry, Seth - I am looking forward to the run tomorrow, but really need to hit the hay…**

She waited for his reply, chewing nervously on her lip as she waited for his reply.

 **No worries, we're good :) Sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning...goodnight.**

Finally, she could relax and get some sleep. And she did...for a while…

 _She was walking down the stairs that led away from the backstage entrance of Benaroya Hall to the street, which was weird because they always parked in the underground parking lot when they had to use the car. Usually she came over to pick him up after she finished up at Garfield High. On evenings he was watching rehearsals, they would sit up in one of the theatre boxes and make notes for Mark to give to the conductor the next morning. But that night, she had parked on the street._

 _She walked down what felt like a million stairs, watching her step and feeling a little off-kilter as she went down. She grabbed the handrail to steady herself and felt the blood drain from her face when she heard him speak, "Careful there - you feeling dizzy again?"_

 _Olivia could not believe that she had almost forgotten about that silky baritone voice...her head snapped up to see Mark waiting at the bottom of the staircase and the sudden intake of breath caused his look of mild concern to furrow more deeply into his brow. Olivia would have given anything for this to not be a dream as he climbed the one or two steps left and helped her down safely._

 _They stood at the base of the stairs, and Olivia couldn't speak as she tried to memorize his smell, his recently-acquired and closely-trimmed beard, the almost-invisible tiny scar across the wrinkles in his forehead...how had she forgotten about those? Mark regarded her with concern, "Hey, Livs - are you really okay? Maybe we -"_

 _He was cut off by Olivia launching herself at him, and holding him in a bear hug that she never wanted to let go of._

 _"Oh my god, Mark...I have missed you so much...have you always smelled this good?" She felt unexpected wetness on her cheeks and tried to wipe them away quickly. Mark once again was looking closely at her with his green-gray eyes._

 _"Wow, I will never cease to be amazed at how much being pregnant messes with your emotions and general state of weirdness...Olivia?" Her hands had automatically gone to her belly, which was healthy and round in her second trimester, and froze, her heart pounding through her chest._

 _"Oh god, I'd forgotten what this felt like...hello little Bean…"_

 _She looked up at Mark, who smiled uncertainly at her, "Everything okay? Is this just a pregnancy brain thing? Do you need me to get you anything before we go home?"_

 _Olivia reached up to caress his bearded cheek, shaking her head, "I have never been better...I've got everything I want right here." He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. Olivia's lips parted as she nibbled his bottom lip and her fingers slid into his short hair and lightly scraped his scalp. Mark groaned, "I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying the 'horny, pregnant wife' portion of the pregnancy…top marks…" he muttered against her lips, making her grin._

 _She pressed her hips closer to his, easily being able to tell just how much he really was enjoying the moment and chuckled, "We should really get off the street before you're able to to tell all the passers-by how much you're enjoying this." After a few more seconds, Mark pulled away reluctantly and took her hand, interlacing their fingers, and Mr. and Mrs. Madsen continued down the street…_

 _Dreams have a funny way of jumping around, so to find herself suddenly in an oddly familiar car that wasn't theirs was not totally disconcerting. She knew it wasn't the car they owned, but she also knew she'd been in it before. She settled back into the bucket seat, knowing she'd need a hand or two to help her out of the car when they got home. She looked out the window at the weirdly beautiful downtown traffic - a light rain had started to fall, and the reflections of taillights and storelights in the glistening pavement held her attention for the moment. "Where did this car come from?" She asked out loud._

 _"Hmmmmm?" Mark was a tense driver, especially with downtown traffic on a Friday night- his attention would be everywhere but inside the car._

 _"This car...whose car is this? Where is our Prius?"_

 _"Seriously Livs? We've always had the Tiburon-I promise you by the time little Bean makes their appearance, we will have the Prius...for now, you'll_

 _just have to rely on your chauffeur to winch you out of the passenger seat." She punched him on the arm, laughing, "Idiot…" But she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she'd been in this car before, and that they had owned a Prius...weird…_

 _It didn't take long for them to make their way out of the insanely busy downtown core and start heading toward their apartment on East Olive in Capitol Hill. She let her head drop back and rest on her shoulders as she looked at Mark, wanting to absorb every detail about him - the curve of his ear, the way the headlights of the cars highlighted the odd ginger hair in his otherwise rich brown beard...she felt a tear slip out of the corner of her eye and she wiped it away quickly, not wanting to spoil their time together._

 _"Mark?"_

 _"Mmmmmm?" Olivia loved how the corners of his mouth always turned up when he answered her like that._

 _She saw two things happen faster than she could react to them: the street sign for East Denny Way and the blinding headlights on the 2015 gold Lexus, that gave a halo to Mark's profile before slamming into him at 80 miles per hour, killing him instantly._

"Mark…"

Olivia's eyes snapped open as she whispered his name sadly, the split-second horror of the dream fast retreating...along with the memories of her life with her husband. Her cheeks were wet with tears shed, and there were stains where they'd soaked into her pillow. She slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, and looked at her phone, then swore. Somehow she'd managed to turn the volume down and missed her alarm - Seth would be here any minute. On cue, the front doorbell rang and Olivia sprang out of bed, pulling on a sports bra under her sleep shirt, some leggings over her bare legs and padded as quickly as she could down the stairs to the front door. She fumbled at the locks, pulling the door open with more force than she meant to. Seth stood there, dressed in leggings, t-shirt, and a hoodie. His hair was pulled into a tight bun and the hair of his neck, but a few rogue strands escaped. He dropped the gym bag he carried when he saw her damp, red-rimmed eyes, the dark circles under them, and the searching look that met his own eyes.

Seth was a little surprised to have the door opened so abruptly, but he was stunned by Olivia's appearance. Gone was the woman who last night had intelligently and brilliantly argued the dominance of the 1960's sci-fi genre, in her place was someone who appeared to have been up half the night in tears, scared of her shadow.

"Oh my god...Olivia, are you okay? What the hell happened?" He reached for her and held onto her arms, trying to provide some small comfort.

Olivia closed her eyes and exhaled shakily, the reality of Seth's hands on her upper arms was starting to dispel the leftover cobwebs from the nightmare, letting her feel normal again. When she had woken up, it was as if no time at all had passed since the accident, and she was waking up to a whole new world she wanted no part of. She took a few more breaths to settle herself before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Seth's waist, looking for the safety he provided. She made a decision then to tell him everything - if no other reason than at this moment, she needed to unload the raw emotion she was feeling. Her voice sounded small and muffled, but Seth heard every word as he smoothed her hair and held her close to him.

"Seth, if you don't mind...instead of running this morning...I need to tell you a few things."


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks everyone for the welcome back! Huge love to **guest reviewer Sparkle Black, Kentucky Shield Fan, Levesque-Rollins823, BalorShieldOrtonStylesareBAE, and 2 anonymous guest reviewers** for the great reviews and I'm so glad that you guys are digging the story - hope Chapter 13 does not disappoint! Creeping up on 50 followers and 30 favorites, if you like what you're reading, don't forget to leave some love - review, follow, favorite!

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"I think you're slower today than yesterday," he teased.

"It could be because after yesterday, I can no longer feel my legs...no thanks to you," she shot back.

Seth smirked as they rounded the last corner of their now-regular morning run. Olivia had joined him yesterday for her first steps in Crossfit - while she was in good shape, moving your muscles in new ways was always challenging the first few times. They had already gone for their morning run that morning as usual, but on their way back to Olivia's, she lamented the impending hours of boredom at home while Seth went to CrossFit.

 _"Why don't you get out in your neighborhood - meet some new people?" he asked innocently._

 _She sighed, "I think I've become a bit reclusive over the last year...Renee and Dean have been my lifeline - the dance last week was the first time I'd been out with strangers since the accident." She looked over at Seth, "I'm afraid you're the only new people I can deal with at the moment...hope that's okay…" she smiled, absently twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger._

 _His answering smile was immediate and reflexive - he wanted to be there for Olivia, their immediate attraction from the moment they'd met at the dance was undeniable. The more time they spent together, the harder it was to say goodbye at the end of the day. "Well there's no reason you can't come to the gym with me - one of the coaches could give you an introduction. I have to warn you though - you may not feel like running tomorrow morning…"_

 _Olivia sniffed, "I doubt it - I know my way around a gym...but thank you. Rattling around that house with nothing to do all afternoon was making me crazy...crazier…I have actually caught up on my Netflix list."_

 _Seth chuckled, knowing full well that Olivia would be hurting tomorrow morning, but willing to indulge her…_

And now here they were.

Olivia entirely too proud to admit she was giving everything she could just to keep up with Seth, who was running a much slower pace than they had set previously.

Finally, Renee and Dean's house was in view, and to Olivia it had never looked better. She used what little energy she had left for a last-ditch burst of energy, carrying her quickly past Seth, who picked up the challenge. "Okay, someone's been holding out...dropping the gloves...show me what you got, Madsen!"

She had no breath to reply, but pushed her legs a little further and faster, grinning like an idiot as she opened her stance and tried to keep her meager lead. In the end, despite a noble effort, Seth managed to pull ahead by a hair. Olivia staggered up the driveway and dropped into one of the Adirondack chairs on the front porch. Seth sat in the other one after retrieving their water bottles from the front step.

Olivia resisted the urge to down the bottle all in one go, forcing herself instead to drink small sips. She dropped her arms to the sides of the chair and yawned deeply, "Okay, I will admit that maybe a run this morning was maybe not the best plan...I don't think I can get out of his chair."

Seth tried to keep the smirk off his face as he pushed out of his chair and walked over to Olivia, offering her his hand to help her up. "C'mon, champ - you don't want to keep Renee waiting…"

Olivia sighed, "She was a little cranky the last time...what was it she said?" She hoisted herself up, gripping Seth hands tightly in hers.

Seth grimaced, recalling Renee's mood - they hadn't been that late, but they had gone to a restaurant for breakfast after finishing their run. They might have been 15 minutes later than usual, but Renee had laid into them, not making any secret that she wasn't impressed. "I think her exact words were,' _I'm so pleased the two of you are so caught up in each other that no one else is worth remembering…'_

Olivia winced, "Right...guess we'd better skip the restaurant this morning, then…" She limped in through the front door, and looked forlornly at the gigantic set of stairs between her and the comfort of a hot shower. "This is gonna hurt…"

Seth took her wrist and gently pulled her right arm across the back of his shoulders, then placed his left arm around her waist. "Come on champ, let's scrape the road dirt off, I got you…" Olivia looked up at him thankfully and they limped up the stairs slowly, but together.

At the top of the stairs, he released his grip on her waist and arm, and with a wave of thanks from Olivia, they went opposite ways - Seth going for Dean and Renee's master bathroom, and Olivia going for her own across the hall.

The shower could not be hot fast enough for Olivia. "Come on, come _on_!" she muttered. Finally, she stepped into the wet heat of the shower and let the burn sink into her body. For a long moment, her only

movement was to slowly rotate and give every muscle the benefit of the hot water. Her exhausted brain went back over the events of the last five days and settled on the morning that kind of represented the shift to this normal-seeming life.

 _After reliving yet again the pain of losing everything that had made her happy, she now felt telling Seth about Bean would bring her some measure of peace, not pain._

 _"Seth, if you don't mind...instead of running this morning...I need to tell you a few things."_

 _Seth's expression was wary as he let go of Olivia, guiding her back into the house and closing the door behind them. His mind wanted to know what was hurting Olivia, but her words sent his heart running to erect walls, protecting against the possibility of another Zahra situation. He didn't think it was, but Olivia had been so open with him already...what more could have happened? He dropped his gym bag at the door, and followed her to the living room couch._

 _"Do you want some coffee? I was going to make some anyways…" she asked nervously as he sat down on the couch. Seth nodded and ran his hand over his mouth. His anxiety had kicked into high gear, the speed that his morning had done a one-eighty did nothing except make him go through a thousand situations, most of them starting with, "Seth, I don't think we should spend time together anymore."_

 _Olivia came back into the living room with a tray for coffee, and poured out two cups. "Almond milk okay?" She asked quietly._

 _Seth shook his head, "I'm fine as it is, thanks though," he picked up his cup, then deciding to dispense with the niceties and cut to the chase, "Olivia...are we okay?" He looked her right in the eye, needing to see her reaction._

 _Unlike Zahra's reaction when he called her on her actions, Olivia's eyes filled with tears and her chin dropped to her chest. Seth was outwardly unmoved, resisting the natural urge to comfort Olivia, still waiting for a definite answer._

 _Olivia placed her own cup on the coffee table and wiped at her eyes. "There's still something I haven't told you about the accident and the night Mark died. You know that we were hit by a drunk driver, and you know that Mark died- he was killed instantly. I never got a chance to say goodbye…" She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to stop new tears. She released the breath haltingly, "I also didn't tell you that I was...I was five months pregnant with our baby, Bean."_

 _Seth was floored, and immediately felt ashamed for his assumption that this was in any way about him. Olivia was not Zahra. "Olivia...I...I can't even begin to -"_

 _Olivia held up a hand, "Seth, please let me finish, or I'll never get it all out…" Seth sat back on the couch, but tentatively reached out and took her hand in his. At his touch, she relaxed, interlacing their fingers. She no longer even tried to stem the one or two constant tear trails down her cheeks as she told the rest of her story, "I lost my husband- the love of my life, and our baby in that accident. I found out about losing both when I woke up in the hospital- and in my anger and shock and grief, I smashed my hand through a glass cabinet…" she rotated the hand Seth was holding to show the fine weblike scars that were mostly faded, but still noticeable if you looked closer._

 _Seth felt tears of his own spring to his eyes, "Oh Olivia…" he said roughly._

 _Olivia doggedly carried on, "I still couldn't tell you if it was an intentional attempt to be with Mark and Bean...I can't remember many of the details of my hospital stay...but it was viewed as a suicide attempt by the doctor on duty. So that's in my medical record. After I had calmed down, the doctor also told me that due to the high speed of the accident, and the violence of the crash…" Olivia stopped to take a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee to steady herself, "...and that after losing Bean, I might never carry another child to term. The damage was so severe, the scarring might be too much…" The floodgates were fighting to open, Olivia struggled with maintaining control and was losing. Her grip on his hand tightened. Her breath hitched and she exhaled shakily, "The man who hit us was young, rich, showing the new ride off to his friends after a Friday night get-together at a club. He saw three green lights in a row and thought he'd show his top speed...he only got to 80 miles an hour when he hit us five minutes away from our home...he'll be out of his minimum-security prison in two years or less, back with his friends and family...but I've lost everything, Seth - I have no one left…"_

 _Olivia looked at Seth with red, raw eyes - looking at him for- comfort? pity? reassurance? He didn't know, and quite frankly he didn't care...Seth couldn't bear to see Olivia so lost, so bereft...He let go of their joined hands and reached his arms around her, pulling them both back against the couch cushions. Olivia relaxed in his arms and as the tears fell, she allowed herself to fall back with him against the couch, focusing on the warmth of Seth's arms, and listening to the sound of his heart beating and the rumbling of his voice._

 _"You aren't alone, Olivia - you have me."_

In the five days that followed that conversation, a new kind of routine emerged for Olivia.

She still woke up and went through her checklist, although she found that there were was less of a mechanical feel to them, and more of a stunned "holy crap, this is how a normal person does it" feel.

The only new additions to her day were due to Seth's regular presence: she now had a running buddy and someone to have breakfast with - sometimes in Olivia's kitchen, sometimes breakfast on the way to see Renee and Dean. She still thought of Mark and Bean, but mostly just before bed. The nightmares had subsided again, not even causing her to wake with uneasy feelings. If this was how her post-accident life were to continue, Olivia thought it might not be too bad after all.

The water had begun to cool, and no matter how much she cranked up the hot water, there wasn't any more coming this morning. She sighed and turned the water off and grabbed a towel, closing her eyes at the feel of the fluff against her skin.

"Olivia! You okay in there?" Her head jerked upward at the loud knocking that accompanied Seth's check-in. She wrapped the towel around her, tucking the loose end in securely. She walked over to her bedroom door and opened it a crack. Seth stood there, dressed and ready to go in a T-shirt and cargo shorts, his long dark hair in wet ringlets drip-drying on his the two-inch space in the door, he saw Olivia's damp hair, her green eyes, and the fact that she had on nothing but a towel, "Oh geez Olivia- can you put- I didn't know y-sorry, I was jus-Olivia are you really not even dressed yet?" He posed this question at the ceiling, and stepped back from the bedroom door, taking Olivia out of his line of sight.

Olivia's eyes opened wide, realizing she had daydreamed in the shower longer than she intended, "Oh my god, Seth-I am so sorry! I'll be right out!" she shut the door and pulled on clothes pulled hastily out of her dresser. She opened the door again and looked both ways down the hall, spotting Seth at the top of the stairs.

Seth saw Olivia and tapped his watch, "Come on, Madsen - I am totally throwing you under the bus if Renee wants to know why we're late again - what were you doing in there?"

Olivia hustled down the hallway, making a face at Seth and imitating his watch tapping as she passed him on her way down the stairs, "I was having a shower _Rollins_ , what do you think?" She stopped on the stairs, making Seth stop short of falling over her, "You would throw me under the bus? Renee scares you that much, does she?"

Seth smirked as he redirected Olivia's shoulders down the stairs and gave her a friendly nudge in the right direction, "Bored, crazy, hospital-bound Renee scares me, I am man enough to admit it, no question. There's a reason she was able to tame lunatic Dean Ambrose back in high school...deep down she was crazier than he was."

Olivia conceded, "Okay, I'll give you that one - we can grab breakfast at the hospital."

"I don't care if she says I need to stay here longer than Roman promised-I'm leaving his hospital the day after tomorrow," Renee vowed, tearing angrily into her dry toast.

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed, "Renee, Dr. Flair wouldn't keep you here any longer than was necessary," he paused in mid-bite and pointed with his melon wedge for emphasis. "If she _does_ decided you need to stay here longer, love of my life, then we will stay - you and Lump are the priority." He leaned forward, planting a sticky melon kiss on the top of Renee's nose. Renee sighed loudly and flopped back into her pillows, chewing her toast in irritation.

Dr. Flair had become both a source of joy and frustration for Renee. Renee was deeply appreciative of Dr. Flair's knowledge and her reassurances that Renee's condition would be treatable and that her baby would not be affected. The treatment, however, was not making Rene a happy camper. The first couple days of her hospitalization passed with Renee on a purely bland liquid diet - Boost drinks, juice, water, sports drinks- she got 15000 steps on her Fitbit just from going to the bathroom. After that, if it didn't have any color or flavour to it, it was fair game: in small amounts, Renee grazed steadily on a diet of dry breads, potatoes, bananas, pears and cold boiled eggs in addition to her liquid feasts. She had to chew every bite carefully, which took the joy out of her whole eating experience - not only did she have to eat pale, tasteless food; but she had to eat it often, in thankfully small, but frequent amounts, and chew each cardboard mouthful intently and with purpose. She understood the purpose of the diet, she really did...but that didn't mean she couldn't complain about it. Loudly. Forcefully. Often.

Dean had taken to eating outside of the room, usually when Renee was sleeping, so she wouldn't get touchy about him living the high life, eating cafeteria tuna sandwiches. They went for walks around the hospital, and when Renee got tired, Dean would take her for a wheelchair tour of the rooftop garden. Seven days into her recovery and Renee was making huge strides in her recovery, as was evidenced in her increasing boredom and irritation with her limitations. Rapidly fluctuating hormones did not help the situation…

One moment Renee was grudgingly eating her toast, the next she was weeping quietly. Dean's eyes widened and he moved towards her on the bed, "Ree? Honey, what is it? Are you okay?"

She mumbled something around her mouthful of toast. Dean shook his head, not understanding. Renee swallowed her toast and sat up, pointing at the clock on the wall, "They're not coming - I was mean to them yesterday and now they're not going to come and see me…" she dissolved into tears and Dean took her in his arms.

"Renee, it's okay….shhhhh…" He pulled her back to look at her, "Are you talking about Olivia? And Seth?" She nodded miserably, wiping at her tears and nose with the tissue Dean gave to her. He reached up with both hands, and caressed her face, "Renee, Olivia loves you . She has been here every day to visit since you were admitted. She understands what you're feeling, and I'm sure she wouldn't hold any snarky words against you - she's you're cousin and she loves you. I'm sure she and Seth are just running a little late…"

At that moment, the door opened and Renee's hopeful expression quickly deflated as Dr. Flair walked in for morning rounds. "Good morning, Ambroses - how are things going morning, Renee?" Her eyes landed on Renee's breakfast tray - the toast was gone, but there was still a banana and cold scrambled eggs still sitting untouched. "Breakfast still not going over well, I see."

Renee sighed and reached for the banana dutifully. Dr. Charlotte Flair was a many-faceted woman: smart but not smug, beautiful but not shallow, kind but firm. She always made Renee feel like a little kid on the receiving end of a lecture from Mom. "I am really trying, Charlotte - it's hard to want to eat when your food options all taste the same - bland. This banana," she held up the offending fruit, "is the most interesting thing I'll eat today."

Charlotte checked Renee's chart and made a few notes on it, "I know you've been following a plant-based diet, I'd like to start adding some new foods to your diet today and see how you deal with them. I'm thinking nuts, tofu, beans - maybe some soup in between meals. Could be a good way to add some diversity to your diet while keeping your weight up." She closed the chart and sat on the bed in the space Dean had recently vacated. "I want to be able to send you home without a ton of medication, but that means knowing you're going to be able to eat enough and get enough nutrition for the two of you."

"What kind of medication are we talking about? How's that going to affect the baby?" Dean stepped into the conversation, concerned.

"Renee has been on anti-emetics and a Vitamin B6 supplement since she was admitted. None of that will impact the baby's health - I'm going to start decreasing the anti-emetic dose starting today. If everything goes well in the next couple of days, Renee, you might be able to go home with nothing more than a hunt for Benadryl at the CVS on your way home." Charlotte held up a hand at the relieved look on Dean and Renee's faces, "That's **_if_** everything goes well - you would still need to do everything you can to rest as much as possible and to stay away from stressful situations for the next couple of weeks. Once you're into the second trimester, the chances are very good that the HG will resolve itself and you won't have any other issues. I will recommending that you go on maternity leave from your job at the station as soon as possible - you need the rest."

She stood and walked to the door, "I want you both to know that Renee's treatment here has been very promising. However, given the late appearance in your first trimester, it's possible that it could continue beyond what we would normally expect. Outside of a controlled environment, things can go very differently - but above all, I want you to avoid stress and stressful situations. That's a huge factor in treating your condition successfully."

Renee sighed, "We'll see how that goes - You know the situation with my cousin at home- I guess the sooner I deal with that the better…" she looked up at Dean, "At least I've got new food to look forward to…"

Dean looked at Dr. Flair hopefully, "Please tell me that kicks in right away - i'd love to start eating in the same room as my wife again."

Dr. Flair smiled, "I'll let the food services staff know right away that I've changed your dietary requirements, and make a note about reducing your medication in your chart- I'll be back after dinner to see how the day went, but if you feel nauseous at any time, use the call button to get a nurse...enjoy your day…"

"Thank you, Charlotte - I know I'm a huge pain the ass, but Dean and I both really appreciate everything you've done for us." Renee waved a hand at Charlotte's retreating form through the door.

"Well that's good news, right? Starting to make changes to get you back home is promising - I'm sure if she didn't feel you were up to it, Dr. Flair wouldn't be talking about sending you home." Dean put a supportive arm around Renee's shoulders as he sat beside her on the bed.

Whatever reply Renee had was forgotten as she saw Olivia and Seth appear in the doorway. "Olivia! Oh my god I'm so happy you guys came back…" Dean helped Renee out of bed and she shuffled along the floor to give Olivia a welcoming hug. Seth nodded at Dean and walked around the two cousins.

"Renee looks like she's feeling better? Olivia was expecting another lecture for being late…" Seth confessed.

Dean looked at Renee embracing her cousin, so glad to have her here, and smiled, "Renee's not loving being cooped up here all day, yesterday...was not a good day. But the doctors are saying she's looking better and they're hoping to be able to send her home day after tomorrow...cross your fingers."

Seth raised his eyebrows, "Wow, that's fantastic! Olivia's gonna love having you guys back - I think she's probably sick to death of me by now."

Dean chuckled, "Listen, Seth - I want to tell you how much it means to Renee and I to know that Olivia has someone she can rely on - someone she can trust. I know that this-" he gestured at the hospital trappings of Renee's room, "-was probably not what you had planned on when you offered to talk to Olivia at the reunion."

Seth shook his head, "Well, no - but I think -" he hesitated, "I think we've been pretty good for each other. I still can't believe what she's gone though this past year."

Dean regarded Seth thoughtfully, he and Seth had had a few heart-to-hearts since he came with Olivia for visits, and knew a bit about Seth's experience in Davenport last year, "Well still - thank you. Knowing she's not alone - it's taken a lot of stress off of Renee...and me," he added quickly. "Hey Seth," he continued, "if it turns out that Renee does get to come home day after tomorrow, why don't you come over for dinner? I'll light up the barbecue - it won't be meaty, but I guarantee you've never lived until you'd tried a pizza on the grill."

Seth grinned, "That sounds great! I'd love to come for dinner - I won't be able to stay late though, I have to head out the next morning for my quarterly road trip to check out the gyms." He froze, "Oh shit, I haven't even mentioned that to Olivia…"

Dean grimaced inwardly, not the best timing for Seth to go away, but at least he and Renee would hopefully be home from the hospital by then. "You know what? With technology being what it is, she won't even know you're gone...FaceTime, texting, calling - you'll be in touch just as much as you are now," he clapped Seth on the back, "Promise - Olivia will be fine." Seth nodded distractedly, obviously now thinking about the upcoming separation from Olivia.

As if on cue, Olivia walked over to them, Renee in tow, "Did Dean tell you? Renee might be home soon?" Her face was the epitome of joy - and for a fleeting second Seth found himself feeling a tiny bit jealous of Renee.

He forced a smile, trying to shake himself out of the funk he suddenly found himself in, "I know, that's awesome! Dean just invited me over for dinner to celebrate when Renee comes home." He looked at Renee, and cocked an eyebrow, "I bet you're not going to miss this place, hey Renee?"

"Well I've got to admit, once you get past the vomiting, the needles, the uncomfortable beds, the horrific food, depressing decor, and pajamas with no backside to them...nope, not gonna miss being here at all." She put on her slippers and robe, and started for the door, pulling Olivi along with her, "Come on - let's go take in the rooftop garden for the umpteenth time, and then we can come back here and I'll kick all your asses at crib."

"Sounds like a plan...you're on!" Olivia and Rene giggled their way into the hallway, leaving Seth and Dean to shake their heads and laugh as they followed along behind.


	14. Chapter 14

Hey hey gang! Sorry to have these long absences in between chapters - rest assured I won't give up on this fic, but things are going to prevent me from posting regularly, I'm afraid.

Thanks so much to **Levesque-Rollins823, kmhappybunny240, BalorShieldOrtonStylesareBAE, and guest ShabyShab** for the great reviews and to everyone who has taken the time to read every chapter, follow or favourite, or leave a review. It really means a lot to me that people are enjoying Olivia's story!

We have cracked 30 favourites for _Come Through!_ Woohoo! I hope you enjoy the peace and tranquillity in Chapter 14...the storm is coming, folks.

Renee had never been so happy to be in a pair of yoga pants. Finally feeling like herself, and not an invalid - yes, she had restrictions, but sliding her legs into a pair of comfy pants after almost two weeks of hospital pajamas (ie - wearing two gowns, one frontwards, one backwards-very classy) was a little slice of heaven. She went into the bathroom to check out how they looked and found herself looking down at the almost-but-not-quite invisible roundness in her belly. She smoothed the fabric of her shirt with both hands and a little grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Hello my little Lump," she whispered. Talking to the little bump had become a habit lately - ironic since she was also actively trying to hide Lump's presence until she was able to tell Olivia the truth. And if she were being completely honest with herself, thinking about Olivia's reaction always dimmed any joy she felt at being pregnant, and was also a small yet compelling cause to get the truth out sooner. She'd always been a "rip the band-aid off fast" girl...but she knew Olivia was going to be horribly hurt, and that made her pause every time she'd had an opportunity to talk to her alone during their visits.

A large pair of hands slid over her own, intertwining their fingers and bringing her out of her reverie. "Morning, princesses - ready for breakfast?" Dean's gravelly morning voice vibrated into the juncture of neck and shoulder, sending a tiny _frisson_ of pleasure jangling down her spine. Renee turned around, running her hands up his arms as he pulled her closer for a kiss. Before the kiss could deepen, Renee felt a tiny lurch in her stomach. Dr. Flair had warned her that physical affection, arousal, and sex could have an effect on her HG - they were going to have to play it extremely safe and completely planned and prepared from here on out. Reluctantly, Renee had to pull herself away, patting her stomach by way of explanation. Dean stepped aside and let Renee pass through to her bed, "Olivia and Seth are coming this morning with the car, remember? Once I get the thumbs up from Charlotte, we are outta here." She broke free of the circle of Dean's arms and started to walk out of the bathroom.

Dean caught her hand before she left, "Everything is going to work out - you know that right?"

Renee sighed and nodded, "I know, but there are it's gonna be a hell of a bumpy ride before it gets there...but I know it has to happen. I'm going to tell her tonight. After dinner. Hopefully when Seth is still there...maybe it won't be as bad as we think if she has her boyfriend to help her through." She held up a hand to quell the correction that Dean was about to make, "I don't care that they have each said they are just friends...they run together, they go to Crossfit together, they go to dinner together, they are together 90 percent of their day - she went to his parents for dinner last night for crying out loud. You see the way they are with each other...even if they don't admit it out loud, Dean - those two have it bad for each other, just a matter of time…" Renee left Dean in the bathroom and went to pack her bag and wait for Dr. Flair to set her free.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I've got to get back in the saddle sometime - thank you for doing this with me."

"Okay, so make sure you've got a good grip, not too tight...that's it - that feels good right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, so just start slowly - no rush, there's no one around, it's just you and me."

Olivia but her bottom lip lightly, and put her foot on the gas pedal. They were two

minutes away from the hospital, and she had wanted to start practicing driving by taking the wheel for the last few minutes of the trip to the hospital. Seth wanted to give her a quick warm up by driving up and down Sharondale Road before hitting the slightly busier Glendale Milford Road for he final jaunt. She slowly but confidently took Dean's car down Sharondale and executed a decent three point turn to bring her to the entrance to Glendale Milford.

Seth looked at her, one eyebrow raised in the unasked question, "You got this, Olivia. Just make sure you look in the direction you're going to get hit from first before you pull out."

Olivia tsked, "Thanks coach...hold on to your butts…" she maneuvered the car into the moderately heavy traffic and accelerated to keep up with the flow.

"Nice one, Livvie - just keep it at 45, we're not in a hurry...you got this." Olivia wasn't sure if Seth was keeping a running commentary of support to keep her confidence up or because her driving was making him nervous. Either way, she was glad he was here with her, and willing to sit in the passenger side, even if it was just for a few nerve-wracking moments. The drive to the hospital was relatively smooth, Olivia had always been a big fan of planning her driving route, so there weren't any last-minute lane changes to worry about. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she pulled into a parking stall and turned the ignition off. One hand rested on the wheel, the other on the keys still in the ignition. Her eyes remained fixed directly in front of her, and until Seth spoke, the only sound for long seconds afterwards was her breathing.

"Olivia you did it! That was so awesome - so smooth, like a boss! I was so - Olivia? You okay?" Olivia remained still in the driver's seat until Seth touched her arm, "Olivia?" At his touch, she turned her head to look at him, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a ridiculously happy grin.

"I did it," she whispered, taking her hands away from the steering wheel. She did a happy little dance in the driver's seat, "I DID IT!" She looked over at Seth, who found himself grinning inanely at her, unable to resist her infectious smile. Olivia threw her arms around Seth laughing uncontrollably. Seth instinctively wrapped her in his arms, trying not to notice how warm he suddenly was, or how good her hair smelled, or how he was happy now that she was happy. It was getting harder and harder to keep that part of his feelings for her tamped down - last night at dinner had been especially tricky.

 _He hadn't intended for it to be a "meet the parents" situation - he had only asked his mom for some help with menu planning...her reaction to finding out he had been spending the majority of the last two weeks with Renee Young's cousin had grown rapidly from mild curiosity to insisting on meeting her in person._

" _Seth, just bring her upstairs for dinner - it's been ages since you've brought a girl home...I think your dad would love to meet the person who's been occupying so much of your time lately - not that I'm complaining, we weren't sure that after Zahra, you'd dare to even start looking for someone -" Oh god, that was a train of thought that had to be stopped at the station right now._

" _Mom, stop - it's not like that. Olivia and I are really just friends - I'm helping her out by driving her out to the hospital to visit Renee and Dean, and keeping her company so she's not all by herself in the 's nothing - like that - going on, I promise." He shifted on his feet awkwardly, and ran a hand through he hair at the nape of his neck, feeling like he was twelve again._

 _His mom looked at him skeptically, eyebrow raised, but wisely chose not to say anything further in the subject. Little by little, she had started to see more of the man her son used to be - ready with a smile, not so serious all the time - and she was determined that she was going to meet the person responsible. She was okay with hardly seeing Seth over the last two weeks - he was a grown man after all - but she was quite damned if she was going to see her son go through the hell of the last year all over again. Not if she could help it._

" _Alright, sweetie - but we would love to meet her anyway - dinners at 6." She patted his cheek as she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Seth to wonder how things had gone from a casual dinner in his suite to something involving his parents and the family dining room._

 _Seth felt like he was sweating buckets as he took Olivia upstairs and through the kitchen to the dining room, "So, um Livs - slight change of plan...myparentsarejoiningusfordinner."_

 _Olivia froze at the entry to the dining room just in time to be seen by Seth's parents, who stood to meet her. She turned slowly to face Seth, managing to keep a slightly stunned smile plastered on her face, "And when were you going to tell me?"_

 _Seth had the good sense to look embarrassed. He had tried to pick up the phone half a dozen times since talking to his mom that morning, but he didn't want to freak Olivia out, or make a much bigger deal of this than it was. A small but vocal part of his mind kept telling him that if Olivia knew she was meeting his parents at dinner, she would be overwhelmed, misread the situation...and run._

 _He didn't want her to run._

 _So instead, he quickly pulled Olivia back into the kitchen, looked her in the eyes and silently begged her to trust him, "To be honest, I don't know what happened, one minute I was asking my mom for help with a recipe and the next minute we had dinner invitations upstairs...I started to call you a million times, I even tried to say something in the car on the way over, but.." he opted for full disclosure, "I thought you'd cancel if you knew you were meeting my parents"_

 _Her eyes flashed briefly with confusion before Seth's mom came over to them. "You must be Olivia." Olivia turned and suddenly she was face to face with Elaine Rollins. She couldn't help but feel like Seth's mom was sizing her up, but after what Seth had told her about Zahra - Olivia would probably be doing the same thing in Elaine's shoes._

" _Mrs. Rollins," She looked over Elaine's shoulder to see Seth's dad, "Mr. Rollins - it's so great to finally be able to meet you. Thank you so much for the dinner invitation." It was like emotional muscle memory, reciting the appropriate things as she remembered meeting Mark's parents all those years ago - she really hoped meeting Seth's parents was a better experience than meeting her former in-laws…_

 _Dinner actually went remarkably well, with few hiccups until they were clearing the dishes. "I'm glad to hear Renee's coming home from the hospital soon - i'm sure you'll be happy to have someone to keep you company when Seth goes on his business trip day after tomorrow." Seth's mom continued into the kitchen where his dad was already loading the dishwasher, leaving an incredibly awkward silence to fall between Seth and Olivia._

 _She turned to face Seth, arms folded, her expression unreadable. Seth let out the breath he had held when he heard his mom's comment, and dropped his head, trying to figure out what he was going to say. Olivia pulled out a chair and sat down. "How long are you gone for?" she asked quietly._

 _Seth remained standing, leaning against the dining room table. "Two weeks - it's a business trip. I usually go every quarter to check in, see how things are going, take care of owner things...Olivia, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before this…"_

 _She smiled sadly, "Why didn't you?"_

 _The question was simple, but the answer not necessarily so. "To be honest, I didn't even realize how close it was to the trip date until yesterday...and when I wasn't sure if Renee and Dean were going to be home from the hospital by then, I spent all last night emailing my managers letting them know I might have to delay my trip."_

 _Olivia's heart felt like it was going to drop into the or of her stomach, but she managed to get a hold of her now-frantically beating pulse and pulled out a chair for him to sit. "Seth," she began raggedly, not quite in control of herself just yet, "I can't tell you what it's meant to me to have you be there for me over the last few weeks - I honestly don't know what I would have done without you. I am so grateful…" Olivia struggled with the whirlwind of emotions - she couldn't deny that she and Seth had grown close - very close - over the last two weeks. But it had gotten muddy for Olivia the last few days - it was so easy being with Seth, but never simple. She had come to depend on his friendship and support - probably more than she should, but he was now the last person she saw before she went to bed, and always the first person she saw in the morning. Her feelings had started to venture beyond friendship and Olivia had woken up more than once from dreams featuring shirtless Seth._

 _He had become a focus in her life. Two weeks away was going to seem like an eternity._

 _Seth saw she was struggling, and took her hand, "Olivia - I am so sorry that I didn't tell you about this sooner, that I didn't tell you about the change in plans for dinner...it wasn't intentional, I swear. I completely forgot about the trip until Dean and I were talking about Renee's welcome home dinner...I guess the last few weeks with you made me forget anything else I had planned before I met you."_

 _Olivia smiled weakly, "I forgive you - I'll suppose I'll have to figure out how to FaceTime…"_

 _Seth leaned forward and placed a kiss on Olivia's forehead, "If Renee doesn't get discharged tomorrow, I've told my managers they won't see me until after I know you've got someone at home with you. I won't leave you alone, Olivia."_

 _She slowly tilted her head up to look at him, realizing with certainty that she wanted him to kiss her again, properly. They were frozen like that, face to face, for bare seconds before Seth's mom came back into the dining room. "Seth, your dad and I were going to go out for an after dinner walk - would you like to join us?"_

 _Seth broke the moment first, "Uh, no thanks Mom - not this time." He looked at Olivia with a mix of guilt and want, "Maybe another time."_

And again, here they were. Olivia's giddy laughter had subsided to the point where they were now only embracing in the front seat of Dean's car. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her chest. She knew hers was beating just as hard. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, unable to miss the combination of soap and just a hint of Seth's cologne. "I could not have done any of this without you...thank you," she whispered, just loudly enough for him to hear.

Seth's mind and libido were locked in a death match. Mentally, he knew Olivia only wanted to be friends for now, but that didn't stop him from thinking about her in decidedly "not friends" way. She was kind, she was brave, she was funny, and every day he found one more thing about Olivia Madsen that drew him to her even more. He was barely able to prevent an embarrassing hard-on by remembering the excruciating pain when he had blown out his knee skiing a few years ago. He was enjoying the feel of Olivia in his arms way too much, enjoying the grip of her hands on his shoulder blades, and her whispered thanks nearly sent him over the edge again. He gently disengaged himself from the embrace, and looked into Olivia's green eyes. "Olivia, I know you would have found a way to get through all this and do what needed to be done. I'm glad I was able to be here, though." Seth leaned forward and kissed her gently in the forehead, resting his lips to her skin for just a moment more than was considered "just friends". He pulled away reluctantly and took her hand, tugged at it gently before letting go, "We should get going - we actually made it here on time, Renee is going to have kittens!"

Olivia smiled wanly, still able to feel the warmth of Seth's lips on her flushed forehead, and lead the way out of the car and into the hospital.

Renee and Dean were getting a last set of instructions from Dr. Flair. Charlotte held up a bag with the medications Renee would need, "You've got a prenatal vitamin - take it once a day, but not too early, and with breakfast. I've also included a short-term sample of supplements you could try to help reduce symptoms: a ginger supplement, vitamin B6, and Dramamine or Benadryl." She held up a prescription sheet, "If none of those work within 24 hours, call my office immediately and get this prescription filled. I have you already booked for a regular appointment next week, but if you need to see me sooner, you have my office number and the emergency number-please call if you need to." Charlotte handed the bag and the prescription to Dean, and looked at the both of them, looking as shell shocked as it was possible to. "Renee, you've responded extremely well to treatment - you haven't felt ill again?" Renee shook her head. "Then I feel like you have a very good chance of making it through the riskiest part of the pregnancy with not too much trouble," she smiled reassuringly at the parents-to-be, "You are going to be fine, Renee. You're young, healthy, strong - and you have a husband who adores you to run around and keep you as comfortable as he can. Take it easy, stay away from stress and you'll be through this rough patch before you know it."

Renee felt tears spring up in her eyes and wiped them away with a frustrated sigh. She was still getting used to the sudden mood swings, but found the lack of control frustrating. "You don't know what it has meant to Dean and myself to have you in our corner, Charlotte. Thank you so much...for everything…"

She wiped away more tears as Dean extended his hand to Dr. Flair. "We'll definitely give you a call if things get out of hand before next week - thank you for making Renee feel better." He regarded his wife warmly, "She's my whole world…"

Charlotte took Dean's hand, "My pleasure- I'm glad I could help you through this, you guys." She walked into the hallway, leaving Dean and Renee alone for a few brief minutes before Olivia and Seth arrived.

Olivia arrived a few seconds before Seth, skidding to a halt in front of Renee, "You will NEVER guess what I just did!"

"Oh my god you guys had sex in the elevator in the way up?!" Renee's filter was never great, and the pregnancy had actually made it worse.

Olivia rolled her eyes at Renee, then looked at Dean, "YOU guess...and no," she looked pointedly at Renee, "there was no sex in any elevator." She held up a hand to quell any further question about sex locations from Renee. "OR anywhere. Jesus, Dean - I am fully prepared to stay in a hotel the first weekend you guys are home, just give me a heads up first, okay? Hang a sock on the front doorknob…"

Dean chuckled, " No worries, Livs - now what could you have possibly done that has you so excited?"

Seth answered from the doorway, "She only drove down the busy Glendale Millford Road...no biggie…" He smiled proudly at Olivia, who was practically glowing at her achievement.

Dean looked down at Olivia, "Holy shit, really?" At Olivia's gleeful nod, he pulled her into a huge hug, "I am so proud of you - you are making some really amazing steps forward, Livs." He looked over to Seth, who had come further into the room. "Thank you," he said with great sincerity.

Seth nodded, "Olivia deserves the credit - she decided it was time to get comfortable driving again. I was only the moral support…"

Olivia turned around. "There's nothing 'only' about being moral support, Seth...I wouldn't have even thought about doing it if you weren't able to be there," she replied adamantly. She met Seth's eyes and for a brief moment it was just the two of them before Renee broke the silence, impatient to go home.

"Okay we get it, Seth is amazing. Awesome. Fantastic. Can we puleeeeze take me home now?"

Dean chuckled as he grabbed their bags and put an arm around his wife, "Come on folks, you heard the preg-" he caught himself before the first syllable was totally out, smoothly transitioning to "-uh, Princess...let's go home." A meaningful look passed between Dean and Renee as they acknowledged Dean's slip. Going home was great, but the secret of Renee's pregnancy was a ticking time bomb that needed to be dealt with tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

**Back! Our boy Seth is IC champ again, Dean is back, and Roman is king - the SHield have reunited yet again, so I thought I would celebrate with not one but TWO new chapters for you guys. Hoping to get a couple chapters out in September, but hopefully this will make do for now.**

 **Thanks to kmhappybunny240, ShabyShabs, Levesque-Rollins823, Deanee lover, and the anonymous guest for reviewing Chapter 14 - hope you like these ones!  
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"Are you sure those clouds aren't going to turn before dinner? They look pretty close…" Renee and Dean were close to home, but the threatening clouds added to the weather updates on the radio were casting doubts in Renee's mind as to how this shindig was going to turn out. She had hoped to have a relaxing evening with Dean, Seth and Olivia in the backyard in front of the fire pit...a few hours of peace before telling Olivia about the pregnancy. Once she told Dean her plan, he was determined to make it happen for her.

"Renee, nothing is going to stop this from being the best welcome home dinner you've ever seen. A veritable feast of dry toast, white rice and I've got a line on a sweet recipe for grilled banana that Bobby Flay says will blow your mind...the rest of us will have to make do with some disgusting slop I'll scrape off the barbeque," An exaggerated shiver of revulsion shook Dean's body. Renee grinned and punched her husband solidly in the arm, causing the car to wiggle slightly in the lane. She was so relieved to be out of the hospital and on her way home, she really didn't care what was on the menu.

" Hey, hey! Careful! We've got a baby on board…" he sighed and reached over to take Renee's hand as he glanced over at his wife, meeting her eyes briefly. "It feels good to be able to say that out loud…" Dean hesitated, "Still want to tell Olivia tonight?"

Renee' grin faded quickly and she turned back to the front window, her mouth had turned into a straight line with her lips pressed firmly together. "I do, but I can't decide if we should do it before dinner or after. Having Seth there when we tell her might be a good idea, but if he's still planning on taking off on his trip tomorrow- maybe we should wait? Two weeks isn't that long…" She rubbed her slightly rounded belly absently, trying to think of the kindest way to tell Olivia.

"Renee, think about it - can you imagine the three of us in the same space - you and me tiptoeing around Olivia and watching every word we say...for two more weeks?" He shook his head, "It's got to be tonight, my love. I think if we stress how much we love Olivia and want her to be a part of the baby's life…" He trailed off, and exhaled heavily, "Who am I kidding - It's not going to matter what we say, she's not going to react well. But we just need to be there for her, no matter what. If she needs to take some time to get used to the idea and cope...well, we'll do what she wants to help her get through." He closed his hand around Renee's as he pulled into their driveway. Seeing the familiar house and yard gave him the sense that everything was going to turn out okay. But as he walked over to help Renee out of the car and saw just how black and threatening the storm clouds had become he remembered something Seth's dad had told him when they were getting ready for a school camping trip in their senior year, " _Dean my boy, the smart man hopes for the best but prepares for the worst - remember that and you'll be ready for most things in this life."_

The beginning of Seth and Olivia's drive home was subdued - once the initial euphoria over having Renee coming home had passed, the mood in the car got quiet quickly. Looking out the window, Olivia found herself thinking about how quiet the next two weeks were going to be while Seth was gone. In such a short period of time, her life had been completely changed - she knew she couldn't go back to how things were before she met Seth. She also couldn't stop thinking about how amazing he had felt in her arms when they celebrated their arrival at the hospital.

Seth had Olivia on the brain. He tried to not look her way every five minutes but failed. He remembered the feel of her hair on his cheek during their celebration in the car earlier, the scent of her shampoo...he stopped short of closing his eyes to improve the memory. Seth looked over one final time before deciding to say something, "You okay over there, Livs? You're awfully quiet." He wished this trip could be postponed, but the emergency with Renee had passed and if he held off one week for Olivia, it would be way too easy to find a reason to put it off another week after that...and then another week after that.

She turned from the window and smiled wanly, "I'm okay…" Olivia folded her arms in front of her and opted for full disclosure, "I guess I'm just thinking about you going on your trip...It's going to be hard going back to the status quo again."

Seth glanced over at Olivia again, "Well it's a good thing that's not going to happen, then." Olivia's whole body perked up, thinking that Seth had decided to delay his trip. "Olivia, I have to go tomorrow, and I know the timing could be better, but do you think I'm going to be able to go for more than a day without talking to you? I can probably guarantee that your phone is going to be buzzing nonstop with the texts from rest stops along the way. And if you think for one minute that you can stop going to the box downtown for your WODs...just think how painful it's going to be going back there with me when I get back after missing two weeks."

Olivia grimaced, "Oh my god the internet was right...CrossFit IS an addiction…"

Seth couldn't help but let out a short laugh, possibly louder than he intended in his nervous state. The corners of his mouth turned up when Olivia joined him with a giggle, and this time he saw that her smile reached her eyes. He turned the car down Dean and Renee's street, content that he'd been able to show Olivia that the trip was not going to be the end of - well, whatever name you could put to their relationship - and that he was coming back to her.

Seth parked the Tiburon beside Dean and Renee's car and they both got out. Olivia felt a little better about Seth's departure after their discussion in the car, Renee was home safe and sound...as she and Seth made their way up the front steps, she was feeling hopeful about the future. For the first time in almost a year, she was finding herself daring to think beyond the end of the day.

They entered the house together and headed toward the noises coming from the kitchen. Dean was in the kitchen chopping up pizza toppings and gave them both a curt nod and a tight smile by way of greeting. Through the backdoor window, Olivia could see Renee putting up the patio umbrella and setting up the table for dinner. Olivia also could see the black storm clouds not too far off, "Dinner outside, Dean? Did you hear the weather report?" Her eyebrows were raised questioningly - Olivia knew Dean loved his barbeque, but she was skeptical about having an outdoor dinner tonight.

"Forget the weather report, check out those clouds…" Seth peered out the back door, seeing the wind start to whip the tablecloth around as Renee tried to clip it to the table. Renee's colourful vocabulary choices sent Seth running out to give her a hand.

Olivia picked up a knife and started cutting up the remaining veggies as Dean put the onions and sugar into the pan to caramelize. "Dean I know you're excited to have Renee home and I know you wanted to make her first dinner home memorable, but I don't think that sitting outside in a raging summer storm is going to be what you had in mind."

Dean sighed, then turned around to give a perfunctory look out the back door, "This is what Renee wanted for her first dinner at home, and I'm going to make sure it happens...they've got it under control out there." Dean wasn't doing a great job hiding his current stress levels - he and Renee had started to make an alternate plan for dinner without taking into consideration the effect the smells in the kitchen would have on Renee. She had immediately opted to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible to keep her stomach happy, and so they were going to brave the oncoming storm as long they could to buy a little more time before the real storm landed. Until then, Dean was going to soldier on and try to act like everything was normal…despite the fact that he knew he was a shitty actor.

Olivia gave no response, but Dean could see the ' _Are you kidding me?'_ look on her face, even as she kept her head down, eyes on the cutting board. "We can give it a try, Livs, and if the weather sends us inside, it sends us inside. Renee wanted to do this too, so it won't hurt to give it the old college try - right?"

Olivia held up her hands in surrender, then finished off the vegetables. She wiped her hands on the tea towel and hefted a stack of plates from the cupboard, "Alright, but I bet you ten bucks that we won't be out there long enough to even drink the first toast to Renee's homecoming." With her back turned to Dean as she spoke, she missed the tightening of his shoulders as he realized the delicate dance around the truth that he and Renee would have to do tonight had already started.

"So where's the first stop for you tomorrow?" Renee inquired as Seth helped her tame the flapping tablecloth. She tried not to sound hostile, but Seth's trip was seriously messing up her plan to tell Olivia. She knew that was a purely hormonal response from the pregnancy, but it was hard to reign it in.

Seth didn't notice. He clipped his last tablecloth corner down, then smoothed his hands back over his unruly hair. He had tied it back into a tight club earlier, but the winds were more than a match for it,u "Uh, usually I hit Indianapolis first - It's a bigger gym, and I like to have a day to just observe all the classes. Then I'll spend an evening going through inventory and see what equipment we need, what needs repairs, and what we need to junk. Sometimes if I can swing it, I'll lead a class or two for professional development with my coaches. Indianapolis is usually a six-day visit, so once it's out of the way, the rest of the trip gets broken up between Decatur and checking out a new location for the next gym. Right now I've been checking out spaces in either Chicago, Detroit or Columbus, so I'd like to spend a day or two in at least one of those cities to see what real estate has come on the market."

Renee stood staring at Seth, eyes slightly widened...that sounded like a pretty packed trip, with not a lot of downtime, and a lot of opportunity to forget to text or call. After a few minutes with no response from Renee, Seth felt like he was being examined under a microscope. "What, Renee?" The words came out much sharper than he had intended, but talking about the trip made him realize the two weeks were not going to be flying by, and even though he would be in contact with Olivia as much as possible, there might be days when he would be lucky to get time for a text.

Renee stepped closer, resting a hand on his arm and patting it reassuringly, "I know you're going to be busy, and it's okay - Dean and I will take care of Olivia and make sure she doesn't mope too badly when you're gone." Seth's heart vaulted into his throat, thinking Renee could read his mind. He didn't know exactly how Olivia felt, but he remembered every reaction she had to his touch or embrace. Still, he did not want Renee to be thinking there was something going on when there wasn't...yet.

Renee held up the hand she created on his arm to stop the protest on his lips, "You can't fool me, Seth Rollins. I love Olivia like she was my sister, and I can say that I haven't seen her this…" Renee paused to find the right word, "this _content_...since Mark and the baby…" a lump rose in her throat remembering how happy Olivia and Mark had been. Her free hand strayed, unthinking, to her abdomen and her own sweet Lump. She cleared her throat and moved away from Seth, afraid he might have seen the motion. "What I'm trying to say is - go on your trip, stay safe, and come back in one piece - Dean and I will take good care of Olivia."

Seth took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair once more, agitated and too wrapped up in his own personal drama to pick up on Renee's emotional distress. She took advantage of his distraction to remove herself from his attention and walked over to check the temperature on the barbeque, "This thing's good to go, I'm going to see if Dean's got the pies ready - maybe we can manage to have dinner finished before the storm hits."

Olivia turned around at the sound of the back door swinging open and her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw Renee entering the kitchen. "Oh thank god you came back," She wiped her hands on a tea towel, then went to give her cousin a hug, "can you please tell Dean you don't really want to have dinner in the pouring rain?"

Dean turned as Olivia spoke, the look on his face one that Renee didn't see very often. It was an expectant look, one that made Renee realize she was going to have to tell Olivia her wonderful, horrible news very soon. To do that, however, she was going to fortify herself with as much plain pizza dough, banana, and Ensure as she could. She returned Olivia's hug, enjoying a short return to her normal life, smiled a bright smile she didn't completely feel and patted her cousin's cheek affectionately.

" Where's your sense of adventure, Livs? That storm is at least an hour away from dropping - I heard the weather guy at my station say so this morning. So we put a sweater on in June? After two weeks in the hospital, I look forward to wearing anything as long as it's not those awful gowns." Renee guided Olivia to the stack of dishes shed taken out of the cupboard earlier, "Would you be a dear and help Seth set the table? Thanks, hon," Renee closed the door after Olivia allowed herself to be herded out, then tried not to collapse against it.

Dean took a half dozen flatbread crusts out of the oven and inspected them. When he was satisfied, he put a new batch of dough in the oven and turned to face Renee, who watched him with a mix of compassion and curiosity. Wordlessly, he walked over to Renee and gently drew her into his arms, "I have just spent the last fifteen minutes doing the crappiest job of pretending everything was going to be okay, Ree. It's gotta be tonight - hell, it might have to be before we can even have dinner...Olivia knows something's up - it's just a matter of time before she asks you about it."

Renee held on to Dean tightly, focusing on his solid warmth and breathing in deeply. "I know...and I will tell her tonight. Let's...let's just try to get one nice family dinner under our belts before we wreck everything with our happy news, okay?" She looked up at him through eyes brimming with tears "I'd like to have one last good memory of everyone enjoying themselves…" Renee tried to put on a brave face with a smile, but the stress of the afternoon was too much and her facade crumbled as she began to cry softly, hiding in the folds of Dean's shirt.

Seth and Olivia set the table in silence, both deep in thought about the same thing, but not wanting to burden the other any further. Seth kept replaying Renee's comment from earlier, _You can't fool me, Seth Rollins...I haven't seen her this content since...since Mark and the baby._ He knew now that he wanted more than friendship from Olivia, and he was mostly certain that Olivia felt the same about him. Was it too soon? Should he ask her out? It wasn't like they hadn't gone for dinner together, hell he'd already introduced her to his parents and he knew his mother approved of her...maybe when he was back from his trip, they'd sit down and figure it out...together.

Olivia felt like she had come home to a completely different family. Dean had been weirdly quiet while they were in the kitchen together, and she really didn't understand their determination to eat outdoors in the face of an oncoming storm. Still, if Renee wanted to enjoy her first taste of freedom in the open air, Olivia wasn't going to argue. She wanted to spend one last evening with Seth and didn't care if it was inside, outside, or in the pouring rain. Then she'd have two full weeks to figure out what exactly it was she had with him...and if it was what she wanted.

She stole a furtive glance at Seth as he laid down place settings for dinner and tamped down a grin at his attention to detail. Each fork was laid and adjusted next to the spoon, which was then adjusted next to the plate...Olivia looked down at the settings she had arranged on her side of the table - two plates casually set down with a group of cutlery set in between. Seth stopped when he noticed Olivia was staring at the plates. "What? Do Dean and Renee have a certain way they like their table set?"

Olivia laughed, "To be honest, setting the table mostly falls on me...it's less of a mess than me making dinner." She looked over at him, strands of hair escaping from his ponytail, and swallowed nervously. "You might be setting a new standard for me though, maybe you don't have to make it look quite so nice…" She reached over and flicked a fork askew, "There." She looked up at Seth again and the look on his face made her stop.

He had a strange half-smile on his face and his dark eyes wouldn't let her go. She didn't know what to do, but it felt right for now to just stand and lock gazes with this man who had made such an impact in her life in such a short time. She continued to watch as he reached one hand up to her across the table and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His hand trailed slowly along her jawline, leaving a tingle of flame in its wake. Olivia gasped quietly and managed to resist the urge to lean into Seth's touch. She watched his hand as it left her face and moved back to the table, to a precisely placed fork. Her gaze flicked up to his face when their tenuous connection was broken with a wink from Seth as he gave the offending fork a short push out of place.

Olivia couldn't help the giggle and ensuing snort. The snort and sight of Olivia throwing two hands up to cover up her embarrassed face set Seth into his own fit of laughter. He still couldn't stop himself from watching Olivia in the middle of a full-on giggle fit: face flushed, eyes bright, and happier than he'd ever seen her. His heart was pounding in his chest, his face carried its own flush and Seth realized he was also happier than he'd been in a very long time.

Eventually, Olivia regained enough control over herself and sat down at the table to catch her breath. Seth took a seat, then pulled it closer to Olivia. On impulse, he took her hand in his, ignoring the sudden leap his heart took into his throat when Olivia interlaced their fingers and gently squeezed his hand. He cleared his throat nervously and ran his free hand through his hair, "Look, Olivia, I've been thinking...when I get back, what do you think about-"

Olivia never got the chance to answer, as Dean and Renee chose their moment to make an entrance. Seth and Olivia dropped their hands and practically leapt out of their seats. Laden with vegan pizza, appetizers, and beverages, it was a more relaxed Dean and Renee that made their way to the table. "Hope you two have managed to keep yourself entertained out here," Renee said with a wink to Olivia.

Dean handed Seth a tray of pizza, "Hold on to this while I get the barbeque ready - you're not going to believe how good this tastes." Seth looked over at Olivia helping Renee unload the salad and beverages onto the table and sighed. He hoped he'd get an opportunity to finish their conversation before he left tonight…

Their weather luck held out until dinner was almost over, and thankfully Olivia had been systematically removing dishes and food so when the first rain began at first to sprinkle, then rapidly become a deluge, they only had to grab their own plates and bolt. Even at that, they were all drenched by the time the last person made it through the back door. Dean had Renee comfortably ensconced in the living room, wrapped up in a duvet. He suddenly turned to the kitchen, " Aw crap, I left the barbeque on.."

Seth held up a hand, "No worries, I'm on it!" Before anyone could protest, he was out the back door in the monsoon, fumbling with the dials on the control panel. When he came back inside, he was soaked to the skin and dripping onto the doormat. Olivia literally felt her jaw drop when she saw how Seth's shirt clung to his body, outlining the muscles in his arm very clearly. Seth reached for the hair band that not been up to the task of keeping his hair in a somewhat neat bun at the nape of his neck and shook his wet hair loose.

Olivia needed to be somewhere else, between the memory of their embrace in the car earlier today, the touch if his hand along her cheek, and holding hands before they were interrupted before dinner...she could feel her cheeks blushing furiously as very specific moments of her recent dreams where Seth featured very heavily flooded her brain. She couldn't think of what to say that would get her away from his influence. "I'll...I'll get you a towel - be right back!" she called over her shoulder as she fled the scene. Seth, not wanting to track water through the house, had no choice but to wait for Olivia to return with his towel.


	16. Chapter 16

Dean and Renee had been sitting in the living room for a few minutes on their own, listening to the thumping steps of Olivia on the stairs. Renee bundled in the duvet, and Dean had the TV on and was waiting for the baseball highlights to come on. He leaned forward on the couch and smiled at the sight of Seth still waiting patiently, and still quite damp. "Can I get you a beer, man? Or - geez you are soaked right through - why don't you just strip down and change into some of my clothes? We can stick yours in the dryer and you can pick your stuff up when you come back from your trip?" Dean went upstairs to go pick out something that would fit Seth, passing Olivia on the stairs.

Olivia was coming back down the stairs when she heard Dean asking Seth to strip down and almost turned tail and ran back upstairs. _Grow up for crying out loud! How old are you, twelve? Get the man his towel._ She slowed at the bottom of the stairs and Renee caught her taking a moment to collect herself. "Not a word, Renee," she muttered just loud enough for Renee to hear over the television. She handed Seth his towel and smiled, "I'll get you another one for your hair - I heard Dean offer you some dry clothes - I can leave the towel in their room for you." Seth tried to catch Olivia before she took off again, but she escaped to the upstairs pretty quickly.

Seth quickly towelled off the excess water and made his way upstairs, waving weakly at Renee as he went through the living room. He kept replaying the sensation of Olivia' cheek against his hand and their fingers intertwined. His heart felt like it was going to start visibly beating out of his chest. He'd been so close to asking her out and finally taking a step to something more with Olivia...and now it seemed like she was running scared. Seth reached the top of the stairs and made his way to Dean and Renee's room, where he saw Dean pulling clothes out of a dresser, "T-shirt and shorts okay? Mind going commando, or should I break into Renee's secret stash of my Christmas stocking stuffers?" Dean grinned as he lifted up the mattress and pulled a package of boxer briefs from its hiding place and handed it to Seth, "Don't tell Renee. If I've forgotten to do laundry, I pull a pack from here and replace it afterwards. Stumbled upon it years ago, and now it's like this unspoken thing that both of us know exists, but never mention it."

Seth took the package of boxer briefs from Dean and laughed, "Well, that's not the weirdest couple thing I've ever heard of, but it's definitely one of the cutest. Thanks for the loan, I'll pick up on my way home in two weeks." Dean fist bumped Seth, then turned to give Seth privacy to change. "Hey Dean," Dean stopped and faced his friend, "Thank you for inviting me to dinner tonight, it's been…" he stopped and smiled warmly, "It's been good to get back in touch with you and Renee again."

Dean reached out and clapped him on his shoulder, "Seth, we were close as brothers in high school. No one knew me better, except maybe Renee…" He sat down on the bed, gesturing for Seth to join him. "I have thought about where you were off and on since college. When Renee and I got married, I thought about looking you up and asking you to stand up with me, but - it had been so long, I guess I was worried you would say no." He held out his hand to Seth, "I guess I should have tried harder to get back in touch, and I'm sorry I didn't. But it's good to have you back, man."

Seth took Dean's outstretched hand and shook it firmly, then transitioned into the handshake greeting they'd had in high school - nothing complicated: handshake, hand grasp, fist bump. Dean slapped Seth on the back, then got up to leave. "Well, I'd better go check on Renee, i'll see you back down there, man."

Seth watched Dean go, then stood to strip off his shorts , wrapping the towel around his hips and peeled off his wet shirt. He heard the door open, and Olivia's voice, "Seth, I've got a towel for your hair. I would have given it to you earlier, but you and Dean were talking and I didn't want to interr- oh sweet Fanny Adams…"

He quickly pulled the shirt off and saw Olivia, holding out a towel, the look on her face not hard to interpret. Seth decided to seize the moment, not bothering to put a shirt on. He slowly took the towel from Olivia with a smile, "Thanks, Olivia. Listen, there's something I wanted to ask you earlier before dinner, but we got interrupted." He took a step closer to Olivia, close enough to take her hand in his once more, and he couldn't ignore the feeling of relief when Olivia smiled nervously and moved closer. She took the towel back from him and tossed it onto the bed, taking Seth's newly-freed hand in hers.

Seth looked down at Olivia and almost lost his nerve - he didn't want to lose Olivia's friendship, and would content himself with just being her friend if necessary, but he had to take the chance for something more. "The last two weeks have given me so much that I never thought I'd have again: friendships I thought were long gone...and a friendship that I don't think I've ever had with anyone else." Olivia instinctively blushed and ducked her head briefly as she realized her growing feelings for Seth were not one-sided. She raised her head to find Seth waiting patiently, his warm brown eyes meeting hers with a look she'd only ever seen in the eyes of one other man.

"Olivia?" Seth's voice carried a slightly worried tone. She smiled and squeezed his hand in hers gently, encouraging him to go on. "Am I wrong in thinking there's something more than a friendship developing here?" He raised their joined hands to gesture between them.

She was silent for a brief moment, but never broke their connection, "Seth, I-" She shook her head, "No, you're not wrong."

He returned her smile, feeling bolder, "When I get back from this trip, I want to take you out on a real live date - dinner for two at some swanky restaurant, take in a show, go for a walk along the Riverfront...or whatever you want to do. I don't really care what we do, as long as I get to do it with you." He could feel his heart beating rapidly as he waited for Olivia to reply.

Olivia couldn't think straight, her mind was whirling, and her heart felt like she'd just done a workout at the Crossfit box. This was her first opportunity since Mark died to start over...to be normal. She felt like she was ready and she didn't want to let Seth slip away. "I'd love to do any of that, Seth...and I can't wait until you come back to me."

Seth released Olivia's hands and moved them to either side of her face. She moved a single hand and tentatively reached for his face in return. Eyes closed, Seth slowly lowered his head to kiss Olivia, feeling like he'd been waiting to do this since that first night.

"OLIVIA! Hey Olivia! Hurry up and bring Seth down here - Renee's sub is on after the commercial, we're gonna point out how much better she is than him!" Seth's eyes sprang open as Dean's voice yelling up the stairwell jolted the two of them apart.

They stood apart for a few seconds before Olivia sighed and shook her head - the moment was gone. "I'd better let you get changed...I'll see you downstairs, okay?" She took a few steps toward the door, then turned around, "We'll have to take a raincheck on that kiss, but I do intend to claim it before you go tonight."

Seth stood and did a double-take, "Well, I have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. Nada. Zip. None. I will make sure that you make good on that."

Olivia beamed at him, "Well, alright then...to be continued. I'll tell them you're headed downstairs." She turned around and headed out the door, closing it softly behind her. It was so tempting to collapse against it, to collect herself before she went downstairs. Renee could read her like a book and would definitely leap to conclusions...and for once, she wouldn't be far off. Olivia sighed, it sure would have been nice to have those few extra seconds before Dean's interruption. She took a deep breath and went downstairs to face the music.

After leaving Seth, Dean came upon his wife sitting quietly on the couch, still half-wrapped in the duvet. The beginning of the evening portion of CSN, Cincinnati Sports Now, was just starting, and Dean knew Renee was not happy someone else had been doing her job, and for who knew how long. She'd called a few days ago to let the station know she'd be taking a long-term medical leave and then a maternity leave once the baby was born. Her producer had been sure the weekend guy would jump all over the opportunity to take the coveted evening spot on a long-term basis, which did little to make Renee feel any better about the situation.

Dean sat beside her on the couch, hands folded between his knees. He glanced over at Renee, who was staring woodenly at the TV. "You okay, babe? Want me to change it to something else?"

"No, leave it here. I am feeling way too good to break my best friend's heart...watching Jumpy Jordan take my spot will take me down several notches, just in time to tell Olivia the good news and watch her walk out that door forever." Her voice was monotone, but Dean knew his wife was hurting on many fronts. He scooted to the end of the couch and ducked his right leg behind Renee, securing her between both of his legs as he gently pulled her back to lay against his chest.

They lay there like that for a few minutes, catching up on what the predictions were going to be for the Blue Jackets next year, and prospects for the Reds this upcoming season. When the anchor mentioned that Renee's segment was coming up next, Dean gently extracted himself from Renee and the couch and went to go call down Olivia and Seth. He faced up the stairwell and called as loud as he could, "OLIVIA! Hey Olivia! Hurry up and bring Seth down here - Renee's sub is on after the commercial, we're gonna point out how much better she is than him!"

When he came back to the couch, Renee looked a little more like herself, "You know they're probably up there having sex on our bed, right?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and the barest smirk on her lips.

Dean chuckled, "You always think they're having sex...I bet you a dollar Olivia comes down solo, with no evidence of a roll in the hay."

"I'll take that action…" Her demeanor changed abruptly and her head turned to the staircase when she heard Olivia's steps on the treads. "Oh god, this is really happening," her voice dropped to whisper.

Dean helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms, " ** _We_** will do this together, Renee - you, me, and our little Lump." He kissed her gently, "And we'll do everything and anything Olivia needs to be okay with this."

Renee looked up at him. Her eyes were moist, and her bottom lips started to tremble, "What if she's never okay with it, Dean?"

"What if who's never okay with what? What are we talking about?" Dean and Renee's heads turned as one at the sound of Olivia's voice and the sight of Olivia in the doorway. Renee felt a surge in her stomach that had nothing to do with the baby...she'd been dreading this moment for two weeks, and now was the moment of truth.

Olivia stood and took in the sight of Dean and Renee, looking like they'd been caught in headlights. She wasn't sure, but thought she'd come into the middle of a conversation about Renee's replacement at work. She looked over at the TV and saw the station come back on, "Ooh it's just about time to throw the popcorn...if we had any popcorn…" She looked over at Dean and Renee, their faces like stone, "I'm just kidding, you know I wasn't going to throw anything, right?" The sports anchor started to talk and Olivia hushed whatever words might have been said to listen. Renee could only look on helplessly.

"Welcome back! Those of you who have been tuning in over the last two weeks will know Jordan Richards has been covering for my co-anchor, Renee Young. He's been doing a great job, and we're happy to announce that Jordan will be taking over while Renee leaves us to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby in seven months."

For Olivia, time froze. Or rather, everything slowed down to a bare crawl, like she was on the far end of a rubber band at the end of its stretch. She could hear nothing but the buzzing of blood in her veins and a strong, steady lub-dub of her heart drowning everything else out. Her head felt so cold, but her body was on fire. A tornado had been unleashed in her brain, tearing down every vestige of a safe harbour she'd ever thought she had with Renee and Dean.

And then the rubber band snapped back, hurling her rapidly into the present.

Renee tried to speak. Dean tried to speak. Olivia needed to clarify a few things, and held up a hand.

"How long have you known?" Her voice sounded strange, even to herself, like she had already been screaming for hours.

Renee's voice, by contrast was smooth as glass, "Two weeks."

Olivia closed her eyes and asked her next question, Her voice taking on a strangled quality, "And how long have you known it wasn't meningitis?"

Dean tried to salvage the situation, "Olivia, we-"

"HOW LONG?" It came out as a sob, angry and hoarse. Olivia needed her answers before she was no longer coherent.

Again, Renee's smooth measured tone, with the same reply, "Two weeks."

Olivia angrily wiped away a tear that had escaped, she needed to know one last thing, then she could go. "Does Seth know?"

Renee shook her head mutely, no longer trusting her voice to remain calm. Dean put an arm around his wife's shoulders and answered, "Seth knew nothing about the pregnancy, Olivia. You're the first person outside of the doctor to know."

Olivia looked at the vision of Renee and Dean, standing together. Olivia imagined a small rise at Renee's abdomen, but it was probably just her imagination. Renee and Dean were building their family, and Olivia suddenly felt very alone. There was a terrible weight in her chest, and her head had begun to feel like it was spinning wildly. She had nothing to anchor herself to, and now she was missing a whole new part of herself. Her breath was coming in short, panicked gasps. She needed to go. Now.

She turned and made a break for the door. Barefoot, she made no effort to grab a pair of shoes or coat as she slammed the door behind her. In her grief, she didn't notice Seth halfway down the stairs, but Seth definitely noticed Olivia. He ran down the rest of the way, and looked to Dean and Renee in the living room. Dean was holding a sobbing Renee, and looked not far off from completely losing it himself.

Before he could open his mouth to ask a question, Dean spoke, his voice sounding ragged "Seth, please go find Olivia. I can't leave Renee."

Bewildered, Seth nodded and quickly pulled on some shoes and grabbed one of the jackets hung by the door before he ran out the door. "OLIVIA!" He stood on the porch and called for her, hoping she hadn't gone far. _What the hell had happened in five minutes?_ He heard no response, so he draped the jacket over his head, and ventured onto the driveway in the middle of the pouring rain.

He peered through the darkness, the sheeting rain not helping visibility, "Olivia! Please come back inside...whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out! Together, I promise." Hearing no reply, he continued to call for her for the next five minutes. He was ready to go back in the house for his car keys when he heard Olivia's voice.

"Seth?" The last time he had heard her voice in such a state was the morning she'd told him about losing her baby in the car accident. He could hear the pain in her voice again, tonight. When she stepped out from behind the tree, he saw a haunted look had replaced the one of confident affection that had been there not fifteen minutes earlier. She was soaked through from the rain, and had been crying...was still crying.

"Oh my god Olivia, are you okay? When I saw you run out the door, I didn't know what to do...what happened?" He ran over to her, and held the coat he'd brought overtop of the two of them with one hand. The other hand held her close around the waist as she threw her arms around his chest and cried into his sodden shirt.

Seth held on to Olivia as closely as he could with only one hand free. This was worse than the first time he'd witnessed her crying like this. The last time she'd been in somewhat in control...he had never seen this Olivia before. The Olivia in his arms now sounded like she was broken, and unable to hold back the wave of tears that were falling. His heart was breaking for her, but he had no idea what could have happened between Olivia and Renee that would reduce her to this state. All he could do at the moment was hold her, and for now that seemed to be enough.

Finally, Olivia's tears seemed to subside to where she could speak. Hesitantly, Seth tried to find out what had happened, "Livs? Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened back there?" His voice was quiet and gentle, and he hoped she knew that he was here for her. Not for Dean or Renee. Her.

Olivia released her grip from around his chest, her hands drifting to his hips and staying there. She wiped at the combination of tears and rain on her face and Seth could tell she was starting to get a grip on herself. Olivia took a deep breath and let it out shakily. Then she took two more. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before speaking. She looked up into Seth's face, his deep dark eyes were full of worry and she was thankful that she had at least one person to turn to when she really needed it. She didn't know what to say first, but thought the facts would speak for themselves.

"Okay...well, Renee is pregnant. And I didn't hear that from her, I heard it from the sports guy on the TV. And she wasn't sick with viral meningitis, she was pregnant." She thought that was enough to start with - she saw Seth's face change from surprise to disbelief to something in between incredulous and anger. He said nothing, and Olivia realized he was waiting for her to finish speaking before he said anything. "And now I don't think I can live with them at the moment, because I can't trust them…" she felt her voice catch in her throat, and at the same time felt Seth's arm around her waist pull her to him just a little more. "And also because I can't watch Renee go through a pregnancy without continually being reminded that I will probably never be able to have another one of my own."

Olivia began to weep silently again, wrapping her arms around his waist. Seth drew her close, his mind was still reeling from Olivia's revelations. He dipped his head low to her ear to murmur gently into her ear, "It's gonna be okay, Olivia. You know how I know? Because there's the two of us now...you're not going to go through this alone. I'm not leaving you."

Olivia sniffed and tilted her head to look at him, her red rimmed green eyes meeting his dark brown ones, "Seth, you can't stay home and babysit me when you've got a business to run." She released her grip from around his waist and took a step backwards, feeling Seth's arm around her waist slip away. She wiped futilely at her face, trying to get back some semblance of normalcy so she could start figuring out what the next steps were. "Go and take your trip, I will find a hotel room until I can figure out what -"

"Come with me."

Olivia wasn't sure she'd heard Seth properly over the pouring rain, "What - What did you say?"

He stood tall underneath the coat he still held over their heads, his eyes were bright and the smile on his face was contagious. Olivia was a tiny bit worried Seth had gone off the deep end, but then he stepped closer to her, taking her hand in his, "Olivia, just listen...it's the perfect solution: you have a safe place to stay for two weeks, you'll have someone you can talk to handy, you'll be able to figure out what happens next, and we might also possibly get to go on that date a little sooner. Give me fifteen minutes to go and speak to Dean and Renee and then mmph..."

Olivia had taken her free hand had brought it around to the back of Seth's head, and twining her fingers in his wet locks. She gently, but firmly pulled his head down to hers, pressing her lips against his under the shelter of the coat.

 _God she felt so good..._ Seth pulled away briefly, then looked up the coat and down to Olivia, "The hell with this." He dropped the hand holding the coat, leaving his other arm free to cup her face in both his hands, reveling in the feel of her mouth on his at last as the rain soaked them both.


	17. Chapter 17

_Happy New Year folks! I do again apologize for a long gap between chapters. I won't abandon this story, and I do appreciate the amazing support and appreciation you have given by reading, reviewing, favouriting and following! Special thanks to **FightThatFightROMANWeLoveYou, ShabyShabs, calwitch, Kara, Lanaxxo, and a guest reviewer** for the lovely words of support - thanks for encouraging me to get back to our rain-drenched couple and help then out of the rain. I hope you enjoy Chapter 17!_

Dean had taken Renee upstairs to their room to get her to calm down. Dean was barely keeping himself together - He had expected a negative response from Olivia, he'd never seen her react like that, not even when she was going through therapy at his clinic. For the moment, Dean was more concerned about his wife, who was now silently weeping into her pillow with the blankets pulled up around her into a kind of protective barrier. He sat beside her on the bed, with a reassuring hand on her back, trying to think of what the best next step would be.

Renee looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, "Dean, what if he doesn't find her? We have to go and help him look…" She started to unbundle herself from her nest of blankets, but was stopped by a voice at the door.

"It's okay, Renee. I found Olivia."

Dean and Renee's heads both turned to see Seth standing in the doorway, soaked to the skin. His eyes were soft - he had compassion for what Dean and Renee were going through, but he couldn't stop seeing Olivia's broken expression, and his mind kept replaying their conversation on a loop. He closed his eyes, putting a lid on the flare of anger that was suddenly present - he was there to speak to Dean, to tell him what Olivia wanted. Dean stopped Renee from leaping out of bed, "Renee, please- let me go talk to Seth and see what's happened." He leaned over and kissed her tenderly, "We will get this figured out, I promise." Renee looked at him with eyes wide and full of tears. She nodded and allowed herself to be tucked back into bed.

Dean left his wife's bedside, and followed Seth into the hallway, feeling a odd combination of blessed relief and stomach-sinking dread. He reached into the linen closet and handed Seth a towel, which Seth took with a nod. "What's going on, Seth? Is Olivia okay?" Dean had no idea what direction this conversation was going to take, but wanted confirmation of Olivia's well-being first.

Seth sighed heavily, reluctant to give his two cents, "Dean, I can't imagine a worse way for Olivia to have found out about Renee's pregnancy. I don't know if there was a good way for her to find out, but brother...this was not it." He laid the damp towel across the back of neck and held onto the ends.

Dean pulled a hand over his face and shook his head , "Nope, it really wasn't - and to be fair, Renee and I had planned to tell her tonight, it -" He groaned softly and ran a hand through his hair, "Is Olivia here? I think we owe both of you an apology and an explanation of the last two weeks."

Seth had left Olivia sitting on her bed in her room, she had not wanted to face Dean and Renee until she'd had a chance to dry off, get changed,calm down and think things through. He nodded, "She is, but I need to make sure she's ready to talk to you first. Hang on." He left Dean in the hallway, and knocked softly on her door, "Olivia? It's Seth, can I come in for a minute?" He opened the door at a sound from inside and poked his head in, murmuring quietly to Olivia inside. After a few minutes, he left the door open a crack and same back over to Dean, "She has something she wants to tell you, but I'll give you fair warning now - she's packed a bag."

Dean's heart sank. He had anticipated Olivia needing to be alone to deal with the pregnancy news...but he had hoped she wouldn't feel the need to go away long enough to require a suitcase. Dean nodded at Seth, "Thanks Seth...for being there for Olivia, for coming into our lives again...just -"

Seth smiled awkwardly, and scratched the back of his neck, "We'll talk after you've seen Olivia - I'll be downstairs." He put a hand on Dean's shoulder and walked towards the stairs.

"Hey Seth?" Seth stopped and turned at the sound of Dean's voice, "Would you mind sitting with Renee until I get back? I don't want her to be alone for too long."

Seth changed course and made his way back to Dean and Renee's room, "Of course - I'll let her know Olivia's okay." He knocked softly on their bedroom door and let himself in at Renee's answer.

Dean faced Olivia's partially-closed door and swallowed nervously. His heart was pounding away in the hollow of his throat as he stood with one hand frozen in mid-air, fractions of an inch away from confronting Olivia. He watched as his hand moved toward the paneling on the door and pushed it open enough to poke his head through, much like Seth had moments earlier.

"Olivia?"

Olivia turned from her suitcase on the bed to see Dean standing in the doorway looking like...well, she didn't actually think that she had ever seen Dean looking so distraught.

Good.

She closed her eyes, willing the nasty voices in her head to subside. Yes she was hurting, but she still loved Dean and Renee and at least owed it to Dean to hear what he had to say. She took a deep breath and took a step towards him, "Come in, Dean." She moved her suitcase and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her.

Dean sat and nodded at the suitcase behind Olivia, "Seth told me you were packing a bag - you moving out?" His voice was quiet, but rough with the toll of an emotional evening. She nodded quietly. He ran a hand through his hair and dropped it in his lap, "Olivia I - we - Renee and I are so sorry we didn't tell you about the ba-about her." Dean stumbled for words when he saw Olivia's eyes close at the word he'd been about to say. "You have to believe that we never meant to hurt you...We didn't even know she was pregnant until that first night at the hospital." He felt his throat tighten at the memory of Renee in her hospital bed, pale and small and unresponsive to Dean's hand on hers,"We also found out that night that Renee is in a high-risk category, at least for the next few weeks, maybe a month - that's why she was throwing up so much."

Despite her sense of betrayal from Renee, Olivia was still concerned at this news, "I don't know what to say Dean...is she going to be okay? Is the…" she took a deep breath to push back the tears, her own voice still rough and thick from crying, " Is the baby going to be okay?"

Dean looked at Olivia - her hair was wet, her eyes were red, and her face was a blank slate. She still hadn't put on any socks, but had managed to change into a dry set of clothes...it didn't make her look any less lost, though. He took a hand in his and looked Olivia in the eye, "The doctor said she and the baby had a good chance of getting through it if she can manage the symptoms for the first trimester. A big trigger is stress - that's why she had to take an early leave from work…" His voice dropped to a murmur, "That's why we lied to you, Livs...I can't tell you how sorry I am that we didn't come out with the truth from the start. We didn't want to hurt you, but we need to figure out what to do. Renee has spent the last two weeks worrying about how this would affect you, and tonight I was worried about the both of you." He felt tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and wiped at them with his free hand. "I know you need to go, but Renee and I both need you to come back."

Olivia's control broke. The expressionless façade crumpled and she found herself clinging to Dean as her grief and pain spilled out. She was inundated by so many conflicting emotions and didn't know which one was right. She did know one thing though - she needed some time to sort things out.

She gently pulled away from Dean's comforting embrace and looked over her shoulder at the half-packed suitcase on the bed,"I - I'm going to spend tonight at Seth's, Dean...and then I'm going to go with him on his trip."

Dean felt his jaw go slack and realized he was staring at Olivia. He hadn't seen this coming - yes, it was obvious there was something developing between Seth and Olivia, but to jump into a situation where you were practically living with someone for two weeks… He didn't want Olivia to get hurt, or Seth for that matter.

"Are you sure about this, Olivia?" Olivia's sudden scowl made him backtrack, "I just want -"

"I think what you want has nothing to do with this," Olivia's voice was cold and brittle, and the warm fuzzy moment they'd had seconds ago felt like it had never happened. "From the moment I met him, Seth has been nothing but up front with me. For the last two weeks he's been my rock, and tonight I realized that for better or worse, he's been the only person who hasn't lied to me." Dean winced at the backhanded accusation, but had to let it stand, "For the first time since I've come to live with you and Renee, I feel like I don't belong - you lied to me, Dean, and I think I can eventually forgive that. What I don't know is if I can live in a house where I'm constantly reminded of what I've lost." She stood and turned away from him, pulling the suitcase towards her, "I think you can go tell Seth I'll be ready to go in a few minutes."

Dean's heart dropped into his stomach. He should have left well enough alone, but his protective side got the better of him and now he was back at square one. He got up to go, shoulders sagging with a weariness that suddenly enveloped him. "Olivia?" She stopped packing, but didn't look at him, "Let us know how you are doing - if you need anything...Renee will worry." He had to satisfy himself with the small nod she gave in return and walked out of her room to give his wife the news.

Dean made his way to the threshold of his bedroom and reached for the door knob when he found himself face to face with Seth. He was surprised by the anger that surged in his chest, but tamped it down quickly - not quickly enough, however, judging by the flare of surprise and mild alarm on Seth's face.

"Olivia told you?" Seth asked cautiously.

Dean nodded and breathed in deeply, "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Without waiting for a reply he took Seth by the arm and maneuvered him down the hall away from where Olivia and Renee might overhear.

Seth stood with his chin slightly raised, as if in defense of the decision he and Olivia had made. "Look, Dean - Renee has already threatened to castrate me if anything happens to Olivia while we're away...I promise you, I won't hurt her." Dean didn't miss the way Seth's eyes flicked over to Olivia bedroom door as he spoke.

"I know you won't let anything happen to her, Seth." Seth's whole frame relaxed visibly at Dean's words, "But I'm worried about Olivia jumping into things with you so quickly - there hasn't been anyone since the accident...she's come such a long way in the last year...I knew things between you were getting close, I just didn't expect your first date to be two weeks long and a thousand miles from home." He clapped Seth on the shoulder, turning to go back to Renee, "Call if you need to...call if you don't need to - you know we'll be worried."

Seth watched Dean walk silently back to his waiting wife and let go of the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Once he saw Dean shut the door, he beelined for Olivia's room and gently knocked.

"Come in." Olivia's voice sounded stuffier than before. Seth hopes the discussion between her and Dean hadn't been too much of an emotional one. He pushed the door open and saw her sitting on her bed, staring at the wall with her packed suitcase at her feet. He walked over to her, not failing to notice her eyes were freshly wet and red.

Seth took a seat not too far away on the bed, and clasped his hands between his knees, "Are you ready to go?" Olivia nodded mutely, brushing at her eyes but not wanting to meet his.

"Olivia, are you okay?"

She grimaced, "No, but I really need to get out of here." Olivia stood and reached for her suitcase but Seth beat her to it.

"I've got this," he said quietly and held out his free hand to her.

Olivia stared at his hand with a pained look, "Don't do this, Seth."

Seth was taken aback, "Don't do - Don't carry your bag? O-okay." He carefully put the case down, unsure of how he'd upset Olivia.

Olivia shook her head, "No, Seth...I mean - Don't baby me - I can carry my own bag…" her voice trailed off at the confused look Seth gave her. "What I mean to say is: I need you to stay the same Seth you've always been - Don't start treating me with kid gloves because you think I can't handle it. Dean and Renee just spent two weeks hiding something huge from me because they didn't want me to deal with it - and now I'm leaving." She sighed, frustrated at not being able to articulate to Seth how much she had been hurt tonight, and how much his offer to come with him meant to her.

Maybe she'd gotten her point across, even a little bit. The confusion and concern on Seth's face melted away, replaced by a generous smile. Despite the aching she felt, inside and out, that smile sparked a kernel of warmth in her belly. Olivia closed the few steps between them, and took Seth's hands in both of hers. She looked up into his deep brown eyes, "I don't want to lose what we have, it - you - are too important to me, Seth."

Seth pulled one hand out of Olivia's fingers and delicately pushed a strand of hair that had come loose from behind her ears. Olivia suppressed a frisson that came over her as his slender finger traced the curve of her ear, then the line of her jaw as she tilted her head up to meet his brief, gentle kiss.

When they connected, Seth felt like he'd never known anyone else like he knew Olivia. He silently thanked his lucky stars and broke their kiss, "I told you I'm not going anywhere, Olivia...and I promise to always be honest with you - even if it might hurt." He took a step back and gestured to the suitcase, "After you?"

Olivia felt another wave of tears spring up, and brushed them away impatiently. She hefted the suitcase in one hand and echoed Seth's earlier gesture, taking his hand in hers and lacing their fingers. Seth looked down at their joined hands, heart thumping in his chest, and took a deep breath.

Olivia smiled at his reaction to their touch, she felt it too...it was the only thing currently keeping her grief at bay. She brushed her thumb over his knuckles and brought his hand up to her lips, planting a gentle kiss on the skin between thumb and forefinger.

"Let's go."


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to **kmhappybunny240** and **Vince Basile Jr** for the review love - here's Chapter 18 and if I really get my day organized, there may be another before the day is done! Happy Valentine's Day!

Olivia and Seth arrived at Seth's place shortly before eleven. They had both been quiet on the drive over, Olivia had reached the point where she felt...nothing. She had run the whole gamut tonight from anger, betrayal, and sorrow to hope, happy, and lust in just under an hour and her mind was trying to tell her body to just find a dark corner and stay there.

Seth was tired, but thoughtful. He worried about Olivia and how tonight was going to affect her relationship with Renee and Dean. They had been there so much for her over the last year...but he knew what it was like to have someone you trusted completely blow your whole life apart. He didn't want that to happen to Olivia. He hoped he could help repair the damage done.

And then there was the kiss...he thought a lot about that kiss and what it meant for them. He didn't regret it for a moment - he wanted to have a relationship with Olivia. Did she want it too? Or was the kiss a momentary distraction to take her mind away from her heartbreak? He wanted to be enough for her. He hoped he could be.

They entered his parents' house, and then his ground floor suite in silence. Seth carried Olivia's luggage - he had picked it up without asking permission and Olivia had been too tired to notice. When he reached out his free hand to help Olivia out of the car, she allowed herself to be led under the shelter of his arm into the living room and seated on his couch while he put her bags to the side.

Seth stood in the centre of the room, not really knowing what he should say. The only thing he could think to do was not really appropriate for the moment. So they stared at each other in silence, until finally Seth retreated into small talk.

"Do you want something to drink? I could grab -" Olivia stood and grabbed a hold of Seth's arm before he could go too far.

"Seth - Seth wait…" She didn't relinquish her hold on his arm as she slid her grasp down to his hand, interlacing their fingers. "I think maybe we should just go to bed - I'm done in, and we've probably got a pretty early start tomorrow morning…"

Seth took a step closer to Olivia, looking down at her with a small smile on his face. Just like that, they were good again. He reached one hand up to smooth away the hair from her forehead, "You are correct - normally I'd be up at five to on the road by six to get a head start on the rush hour traffic, but we could start a little later if you want, get some breakfast first…" His hand remained cupped around the curve of her face, unable to bring himself to break the connection their touch had created - and Olivia seemed unwilling to pull away.

"I am so sorry about tonight, Olivia…" he half-spoke, half-whispered. There didn't seem to be anything else worth saying at the moment, although there was so much he wanted to say to her.

Olivia leaned in slightly to his touch, but shook her head, "I need to get out of Cincinnati, Seth - the sooner the better. Five it is." She looked around at the living room and the long grey couch, then back up at Seth, "I should take the couch. Where do you keep your spare sheets?"

Seth couldn't tear his eyes away from her - not an hour ago, Olivia had been so outwardly broken, not caring who saw - or maybe just caring enough that it was him. He couldn't help but admire that about her - her determination to carry on, despite whatever obstacles appeared in her way...he loved that about her, actually.

"Seth?" He came back to the present, and realized Olivia was still waiting for directions to the linen closet.

He did step away from her then, the urge to kiss her, to touch more than her face was suddenly overwhelming...and it wasn't what either of them needed at the moment. "Sheets...right...um, they would be in the closet beside the bathroom - down the hall and to the left - I can give you a pillow from my bedroom." Olivia continued to look at him before she turned to go and get the blankets, she knew there were unspoken things between them. But there would be time enough to talk on the road, when emotions were running a little less intensely.

Seth ran a hand through his hair, exhaling roughly. He turned in the direction of his bedroom to grab a pillow for Olivia - this had been a tumultuous night for both of them, and the lateness of the evening was lowering his ability to filter. He knew Olivia felt the same way about him, but he needed to go slowly, to let Olivia take things at her speed. He pulled a pillow from his bed and hugged it to him as he willed himself to relax, to come back down to normal before he did or said something that made these early days very awkward between them. Pushing too much could ruin everything they'd managed to build in the last few weeks. "Seth?" He heard Olivia's voice back in the living room and went to take the pillow to her.

She had already started to lay out the sheets on the bed by the time he came into the living room. "Here you go, Livs. I think i'm gonna hit the hay now, but if you need anything, just knock - i'm not a really heavy sleeper, i'll hear you."

Olivia was feeling suddenly exhausted - the fallout from the events of the evening was settling on her shoulders and she just wanted tomorrow to come to start the slate clean again. A ghost of a smile was all she could muster as she took the pillow from him, "Thanks Seth - and thank you again for...well for everything. I literally don't know where i'd be at this moment without you."

He stepped in to kiss her gently on the forehead, "You'd have figured something out - but i'm glad I could help." He began to take a reluctant step away towards his room, when he felt the now-familiar sensation of Olivia's fingers interlacing with his. He couldn't help his heart lurch in his chest as it ticked up several dozen beats, but he waited for her to decide what she wanted...what she needed.

Her free hand reached for his face and with a tired grin she pulled him down to her, eyes closing as their lips met delicately once, lingered slightly a second time, then parted. Seth rested his forehead against hers with a contented looked up at him, pupils blown wide, cheeks pink with a faint blush, and she realized how easy it would be to just surrender to the urge to let the kiss go a little further, past the point of no return. She knew Seth wanted her...hell, she wanted him desperately. Her dreams had taken her right up to that point many times over the last two weeks, and then stopped for good reason. Olivia knew she had to bring closure to her own issues before she could let someone else into her life on that level. Tempting as he was - she knew sex with Seth now, without working her own things out would only lead to problems later on. He deserved better, and Olivia knew she did as well.

Before either of them could make their minds up about who said goodnight first, there was a gentle knock at the door to Seth's suite. Seth sighed as he felt Olivia's hand fall away from the sweet spot at the nape of his neck, "That is probably my mom...I should answer that before she - oh, nope...there she is…" The two of them each took a hurried step away from each other as Elaine Rollins appeared in the living room, then stopped suddenly seeing Seth and Olivia together.

"Oh my goodness, Seth - I am so sorry to interrupt - I heard voices... didn't realize you had company this late!" She smiled at Olivia, "Olivia, dear - it's so lovely to see you again -" Her glance fell on the made-up couch and then she turned to Seth with a raised brow, "Is everything alright?"

Seth gave Olivia's hand a gentle squeeze and he went to explain his mom out the door, "Everything is fine, Mom. Olivia is coming with me on the trip this year - she needed to get out of the house for a little bit and we thought a road trip would be a little adventure. I will call you when we get to Indianapolis tomorrow." He stopped with his mother on the opposite side of his front door, arms resting against each side of the doorway.

She gave one cheek a kiss and the other a gentle pat, "Drive safely, son. I will be sitting on top of the phone until you call, believe me." She ducked under Seth's right arm and waved to Olivia, "Enjoy your trip, Olivia - I'm so happy he has company for this one. We'll have you over for dinner when you two get back."

Olivia giggled and waved back. She liked Mrs. Rollins more and more every time she met her - Seth wasn't fooling her at all, "I'd like that very much, Mrs. Rollins...goodnight!"

Elaine Rollins wagged her finger under Seth's nose, "Sitting on the phone, my son - don't forget to call…have a safe trip, dear."

Seth kissed his mom on the cheek and felt a blush creep up under his collar, "I won't forget, and we will have a good time...i'll send photos." He watched his mom as she made her way upstairs, and shook his head. He didn't buy the 'I heard voices' line...his mom was no dummy, and he knew she suspected something was going on between he and Olivia. He closed the door and walked back to the living room, where Olivia has started to make her way into her bed for the night.

"Sorry about that - one of the disadvantages of grown men living in their parents' basements…"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders and grinned up at him, her nose wrinkling, "I think she's lovely, it's great that she's got your back, Seth."

Seth rubbed the back of his neck, trying to make the blush go away faster, "Well she definitely likes you - you must a made an amazing first impression at dinner the other night."

Olivia stifled a yawn, "Why do you say that?"

"Zahra never got a second dinner invitation from my mother. But Zahra was never a big 'meet the parents' person...I actually didn't see a whole lot of my parents while we were together."

Olivia nodded, and then Seth nodded...and then they stood nodding and staring at each other for a few more minutes before Olivia spoke.

"Well, five o'clock is going to come quicker than we think if we don't turn in now...and I'm fading fast." She toed off her socks and slipped her legs beneath the blankets, "You'll wake me when the alarm goes off, Seth?"

He smiled and waved as he turned and headed toward his own bed. He was also fading after the evening's events, and by the time his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

Olivia was asleep first, but not for long.

Her dreams took her somewhere she had never been before...at least nowhere immediately familiar. She was on a path of crushed white rock, that went straight on as far as she could see. On both sides gigantic green pine trees grew in and around the rectangular gravestones that had been planted in neat rows around them. She slowly turned in a circle, she knew it was a cemetery, and tears shimmered in her eyes as she came to the realization that she knew who was buried here.

She saw a fair-sized crowd of people gathering at the turn of the path and she stopped, "Mark…" she whispered, the words catching in her throat as she saw Mark's parents...Dean and Renee...dozens of their friends from the symphony and school...she clapped a hand to her face to stop from crying out in her dream.

In the real world, she couldn't stop the tears from coming, "Mark…" she called out muzzily. In his own bed a few feet away, Seth moved at the sound of her voice.

Back in her dream, despite not moving towards the service, she was suddenly fifty feet closer, able to hear the voice of the officiant. She had still been in the hospital when Dean and Renee had flown out from Cincinnati. Renee had run interference with Mark's parents while Olivia tried to plan the funeral service for Mark and Bean, and Dean had helped take care of the legal and medical details with the doctors and funeral home. Olivia had been heavily medicated and barely remembered any of it before this moment...obviously some part of her memory had stored those details away.

She remembered that his parents wouldn't speak to her. Not to see if she was okay. Not to commiserate on either the loss of their grandchild or their son. Mr. and Mrs. Madsen had never approved of their son's marriage to Olivia - she didn't come from the right family, didn't go to the right school, and didn't know the right people. For Olivia, whose relationship with her own parents had been nonexistent, the snub just served to starkly illustrate that she now had lost any connection to Mark and any hope for a family she'd ever had.

From her vantage point on the path beside the service, she marveled that she'd been able to come back from the void of numbness and static in her head. She was painfully aware that this had been completely due to Dean and Renee...and now she felt that loss again - would their relationship ever be fully healed?

She continued to toss and turn, her silent weeping becoming louder and more pitiful as the dream took her down a dark path, diverging from the reality she had remembered. Meredith Madsen saw Olivia on the path and strode purposefully over to her, stopping inches from her face. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," she spat, "How can you be here when you know you're the one who should be in the ground and my Markus should be off swanning around with the first bimbo to cross his path?" she howled at Olivia, seething with grief and rage.

Olivia backstepped hastily, "Meredith, I loved Mark - I" She tried to defend herself, but dream-Meredith was having none of it, her face contorting, elongating, her chin sharpening, her teeth turning into razors, her eyes were two glowing coals - Olivia, terrified, cried out in the dream. Back in Seth's living room, her terrified scream sent Seth bolting from his bed, half-dressed.

"No! I loved him! I loved him…"

"Olivia! Olivia...it's okay - you're here, you're safe...you're with me...it's Seth, it's okay…"

Olivia's eyes flew open, wide and glossy, her cheeks wet with fresh tears. She looked right through Seth as she sat upright in her bed, her eyes darting nervously back and forth while her mind processed that she was actually awake and not still in that horrible dream. Her breathing was ragged and wheezy until gradually, she felt Seth's arms on hers. The weight was comforting and grounding as finally Olivia realized she was awake and safe. Finally, she looked at Seth, not through him, and saw his dark eyes wide with their own concern and his mouth held in a tight line. She felt the tension leave her body as she slumped forward towards him, her arms reaching for him.

"Seth…"

The rollercoaster of her nightmare was gone and she only now began to deal with the aftermath. She felt his arms catch her and hold her tightly as the adrenaline from her dream finally dissipated and she began to sob unreservedly. She couldn't speak to explain what she had experienced, and Seth didn't ask. He just held her, murmuring reassurances in her ear and smoothing her hair, until she stopped crying. She didn't know how much of the tears were from the dream, or leftover from the confrontation with Dean and Renee, or even renewed grief over having relived the worst day of her life.

Olivia did know one thing though. When she felt Seth's arms on hers, that was her reconnection with reality. When she heard his voice murmuring in her ear that she was safe...that he wasn't going anywhere and that she could cry until she was done crying...that was the moment when she really knew. That at this moment, here with Seth...here was the one place in the world that she could ever feel any sense of security, of belonging…of home.


	19. Chapter 19

Surprise! I do like to post as soon as chapters are done and this one wrote itself...THANK YOU to everyone who has stayed with the story so far, and also to those who are just getting on the train! Huge love to **kmhappybunny240, Levesque-Rollins823,** and **ShabyShabs** for your reviews - love to hear that people are enjoying the read!

As always if you like what you see - R&R, F&F!

Til next time…

When her breathing finally calmed, and the tears had slowed, Olivia pulled away from the circle of Seth's arms, and just sat with her hands resting on his forearms, gently tracing shapes in the hairs there. Her eyes burned and felt too large for their sockets. Now that the adrenaline had passed, she was feeling the heavy blanket of exhaustion trying to pull her back to sleep again. She shook her head to clear it - she knew if she let herself go, she'd find herself right back at the moment that her former mother-in-law began to turn into the monster Olivia had always suspected lurked underneath the cool polished veneer of Meredith Madsen. There had been no special dream symbolism there, the two of them had never been especially close.

She looked at Seth, "I am so sorry to have woken you, Seth. I hope your parents - "

Seth shook his head, raising a hand to smooth her hair, "I don't care if you woke the neighbourhood, Olivia - are you okay? That didn't sound like a run of the mill nightmare...do you need to talk about it?" He let his hand trace the familiar curve of her face to caress her cheek, and like a magnet, she rested her head against his hand, momentarily closing her eyes. "Do you want to take the bed and i'll sleep on the couch?"

Olivia opened her eyes, shaking her head sadly, "I don't think that is going to help…" She bit her lip nervously, unsure of Seth's answer to her next question, "Would you be okay if we both took the bed?" She waited for him to respond, hoping this wasn't a big deal, "I think if I go back to sleep out here by myself, I'll just slip back into the nightmare, and I can't go back there…" Her reddened eyes met his own, and she couldn't seem to stop talking long enough to give him a chance to answer. "If I could just spend a few minutes with you, I think that would distract me enough that I could go back…"

Seth was already standing up, pulling her with him. He put an arm around Olivia's shoulders and guided her to his room. They stood in the doorway, staring at each other. Olivia slowly became aware that Seth was half undressed, with no shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were slung low on his hips. Despite the fact that she was so very tired, seeing his bare, incredibly well-muscled chest and abs was definitely starting to distract her.

He took a few steps forward and put his hands on her shoulders to sit her down onto the bed as gently as he could. Holding onto her for perhaps a moment longer than he meant to, he then went to grab the pillow and blankets from the living room. Olivia smoothed out the wrinkles on the fitted sheet, wondering idly what side of the bed Seth slept on…

Seth returned with an armload of bedding and dropped it on the bed beside Olivia. He took the pillow and looked at her questioningly, "Left side or right side?"

Olivia smiled sleepily, her eyelids were growing heavier and she was starting to feel slightly giddy, "I do like the right side…"

Seth let out the breath he had been holding, and put the pillow behind Olivia, hoping she couldn't see the shake in his hands. He smiled at her, "Fantastic...I am a leftie, myself, so that'll work out perfectly." He reached over and flipped on the bedside light before tucking her in with her own set of blankets, and tried to ignore the heavy thudding of his heart in his chest as he turned the overhead light off, and slipped into bed beside her.

For the first few awkward moments, they lay on their backs in identical positions: feet together, toes pointed, hands folded on their stomachs, staring up at the ceiling. Neither of them spoke until Olivia rolled over to face Seth, "Talk to me for a bit - I don't want to go back to that dream." She propped her head up with her hand, and rested the other hand palm down between them.

Seth mirrored her position, taking her free hand in his and lacing their fingers together, "Do you want to talk about the dream? Sometimes that help-"

"No, I mean - I do, but ...it was about Mark. I don't know if you want to hear me go on about - "

"Tell me," he coaxed in a gentle murmur. "Tell me about him...what was he like?" Seth rubbed his thumb over the knuckles of her joined hand, wanting Olivia to know she didn't need to feel ashamed about dreaming of her husband…

Olivia stared at him for a moment before deciding to go on, "He was a gifted musician, but he drove me crazy sometimes. Someone who could play Rachmaninoff piano concertos, but never remember where he parked the car...or meet you at the agreed time...On our first date, he was a half hour late and I wouldn't let him in the front door. I wasn't going to give the time of day to someone who couldn't give me the respect of being on time. He texted me a video of him in the cafe down the street from my apartment, playing an apology song on three water glasses and a straw he turned into an oboe. He made the whole thing up on the spot, and I laughed so hard, it was difficult to stay mad at him. He was a bit better about time with me after that, but for the most part, I was the one reminding him to leave for appointments - dentist, students, musicians, conductors…"

"Sounds like a busy guy," Seth commented. He did have a great deal of respect for artists and musician-types, but the ones he'd had any interaction with never seemed to be in the present, but thinking ahead, about a dozen other things. He was a bit surprised that Olivia would have fallen for someone like that, much less married ..."How did you two meet?"

Olivia yawned widely, "Oh I was in my junior year of my bachelor degree when Mark came to the university as a Master's candidate in composition. He'd done his bachelor's in piano performance and a minor in composition in Oregon, and then been invited to do his masters at the University of Washington. I never understood why he didn't go on in his performance career...he was such a brilliant player, he gave me goosebumps every time he played…" She felt a brim of tears, and let them fall.

"I was working as a theory tutor for the freshmen students, and one of my students and I were working on a short composition assignment in the group piano lab one night. Mark supervised the piano lab, and had been eavesdropping on the tutoring conversation. I had mentioned that the student had written a passable piece, although it sounded a bit like a Christmas carol...most of the freshmen pieces tended to sound that way, not a big deal. Well, Mark swept in, and grabbed the staff paper right off the piano and played it. Then he took a pencil and scribbled all over the paper, making his own additions and edits - I was furious!" Olivia laughed at the memory, "He didn't get a chance to finish, I swiped the paper right back, told him he was the biggest peacock i'd ever seen…"

Seth stared at her blankly for a moment, "You - you called him a peacock?"

Olivia ducked her head, "I have never been very good at confrontation...I get mad and then I dont think straight...and he was very good looking...I got flustered...so then I told the freshman if he used Mark's composition, i'd report them both to the Dean for cheating. Then I stormed out of the piano lab - Mark cornered me at the bus stop and asked to accompany me home because it was dark and he didn't think a beautiful woman should have to take the bus home alone after such a rousing performance in the piano lab." Olivia couldn't believe she was actually remembering the exact words from such a long time ago.

She looked up at Seth, "I slapped him, called him a sexist pig and told him to go take a flying leap. I did take the bus home alone that night, but he was persistent and eventually I agreed to go out on one date with him if he would leave me alone and stop pestering me. Once I actually gave him some time to prove he wasn't a complete idiot, we actually fell in love quite quickly. We were married after my graduation two years later, and when the accident happened, we were just a few months shy of our tenth anniversary…" Seth reached out with the hand supporting his head this time and gently stroked the tear tracks away with his thumb.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia...both for Mark...and for your baby."

Olivia took his hand and kissed it on the palm, "I know...I - I may have been feeling a tiny bit guilty over the last couple of weeks…" Seth's brow furrowed in an unspoken question, "Before I met you, I had a routine...I had a list that I had to follow, to remind me of how a normal day was supposed to look. I was that broken, Seth. Before I met you, without that list - without it I was lost." She tightened her grip on both of his hands, "That routine was disrupted a bit with Renee's ill- with her needing to be at the hospital, but after that I could have gone back to my regular routine...after a few days I realized I hadn't...and then I realized I didn't need to...because of you."

She let go of Seth's hands and to his surprise, she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest, putting her arm around his waist. He froze, not knowing what to do, but when Olivia didn't speak again, he shifted his body so that his arms kept her close to him. "You never treated me like I was broken, Seth...not even when you knew about Mark...you treated me like I was - normal. And it's been nice to feel that way - even if for only a little while."

Seth felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and he tightened his arms around her. He struggled to keep a rein on his emotions, not wanting to upset Olivia. The hand that rested on her back kept a slow and steady tempo along her spine that he hoped she found comforting. "You're not broken, Olivia. You're perfect...perfect for me," he whispered, not caring if she had heard, but half-hoping she had.

He waited for her reply, and was answered by a deep sigh and a slight loosening of her grip around his waist. He glanced down and saw her breathing was deep and even...she was asleep. He reached an arm out to turn off her bedside lamp, then kissed the top of her head and settled himself, taking care not to dislodge Olivia. He lay like that for a few minutes, thinking of the series of events that had led to this moment, and said a silent thank you to the universe for putting him in the path of this incredible woman. Faster than he would have thought possible, his breathing lengthened, his eyes drifted shut and he followed Olivia into sleep.

An hour after Olivia and Seth had left, Renee had been able to settle down enough to feel like she could sleep. She heard Dean breathing solidly beside her and knew he was out - he could sleep anywhere, that man. While waiting for sleep to come for her, Renee had come to grips with three things: One - she had finally told Olivia that she was pregnant, two - she had broken Olivia's trust and her heart in the process, and three - she was going to have a baby.

She and Dean were going to be parents.

Renee fluctuated wildly between feelings of joy at being a mother and feelings of guilt and angst over _how_ Olivia had found out. To say it had not gone the way Renee had planned would be a gross understatement. She had given Seth the "take good care of her or i'll kill you" speech while Dean and Olivia were having their heart to heart, and she knew that Seth genuinely felt something for Olivia. However, at only two weeks in, she thought it was more attraction than it was actually love, but Renee wasn't blind. She had seen them at the hospital, and then tonight during dinner and the aftermath...it wasn't going to take long for those two.

She missed Olivia already.

She wanted to be able to share her deepest fears about this pregnancy with her, to see Olivia's whole face light up when she tells Renee about her first date with Seth, to ask her advice about the whole gestating thing...but she couldn't. Because they'd literally driven her away from the one place she had been able to call home for almost a year. She wanted to take the evening back and sit down with Olivia and tell her how much she loved her, and that she knew she was going to hurt watching Renee go through her pregnancy, but that Renee wanted her to be a part of it in whatever way Olivia felt comfortable doing...Olivia probably would have left anyway, but at least she would have been in the same town, and not planning to go on a two-week road trip with someone she barely knew.

That's how much Renee had hurt her best friend.

She rolled over and kissed Dean gently on the cheek, smiling at the sleep-mumbled, "I love you". that came in return. Renee had never told Dean, but she had been concerned that they would never get the opportunity to become parents. They had never intentionally tried to get pregnant, but they'd had enough "just this once" times that Renee had started to wonder if they needed to get a bit more serious about it.

Guess not.

Closing her weary eyes, Renee thought again of her cousin and hoped that going on this trip with Seth was the right choice for Olivia. She knew Olivia had needed to run, but she hoped Olivia knew she could come back home too.


End file.
